# Pate a Choux Croustillant? Who knows how to make these?



## bekazu (Sep 22, 2009)

We subscribe to the Spanish Pastry Magazine "So Good".  In the 7th volume they feature a parisienne bakery "pane de sucre" who make these amazing pate a choux croustillante with different fillings.  They have a crispy shell around the pate a choux that somewhat resembles the topping on a mexican pan dulce.

We would like to make these at the hotel but the problem we are running into is this:  how the heck do you make them?

I have found 3 recipes; 2 in French, 1 in Spanish that are just an ingredient list, they contain no instructions for applying the croustillant to the pate a choux.  (This is a common problem I run into when trying to make recipes from Continental Europe, I believe the recipe author assumes you just know.)  I need to know how the croustillant is applied and wether or not using it changes the baking procedure? 

Any help would be appreciated.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Looking at http://programmes.france2.fr/comment-ca-va-bien/?page=article&id_article=2144, I'm guessing that the hazelnut praline is applied after the pate a choux is baked


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## bekazu (Sep 22, 2009)

PeteMcCracken said:


> Looking at http://programmes.france2.fr/comment-ca-va-bien/?page=article&id_article=2144, I'm guessing that the hazelnut praline is applied after the pate a choux is baked


That was my understanding too when I read it, what I am actually looking for is what he does with the Croustillant (the butter, sugar, flour mix) that is the first recipe. I don't see it mentioned again and when he shows the prebaked choux shapes it is already on them.


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## rajeev (Apr 28, 2005)

Dear Bekazu,

please note the recipe calls for equal quantities of flour, sugar and butter make a dough rest it overnite.

roll it thin to 2 mm and cut it with round cutter same size as the pate a choux is piped. place the croustillant on the pate a choux and bake @200 till it dries out for 35 min.

hope it works out for you.

kind regards,

rajeev


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## rajeev (Apr 28, 2005)

the hazelnut praline is processed in the roubo coupe and made in to fine paste and piped in silpats with cavity. then it is freezed and used as a texture inside the filling.

regards,

rajeev/img/vbsmilies/smilies/chef.gif


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Hmmmm

I know of a pastry called "Swedish Choux"...

Normal choux balls are piped out on a pan, a disc of thin (11/2-2mm) sweet dough is laid on top of the balls, then a round cookie cutter is placed over the ball and spun around, making the disc of dough stick to sides of the ball, eggwash and bake.

When baked the dough cracks as the choux expands, leaving a nice cracked and crurnchy  texture.  I think we used a  Diplomat cream.


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## bekazu (Sep 22, 2009)

Thanks rajeev and foodpump!  going to give this a try today.


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## bekazu (Sep 22, 2009)

I made these last week and they were a hit!  The directions for Swedish Choux was right on.  I filled them with lemon diplomat and the few I managed to save were still crispy on top after a night in the fridge.  My new go-to for quick small dessert


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