Chouquettes: French Pastry Sugar Puffs

Discover this unbeatable recipe for authentic French pastry sugar puffs – chouquettes – that disappear in no time straight from the oven. Sixty choux puffs with pearl sugar on top made in 45 minutes are what you need right now. By the way, they are addictive!

Nothing beats the easiest and delicious French puffs with pearl sugar on top – chouquettes. Forty-five minutes of your precious time and a few ingredients will reward you with 60 baked cuties sprinkled with Belgian pearl sugar. Add 10 to 20 minutes to finish them off (yes, they do not last long!), and you will be planning to make another batch again!

In France, most bakeries sell these freshly baked chouquettes, which are the best way of snacking on or an excellent accompaniment for the afternoon tea or coffee.

This is one of our family’s favorite snacks as well as French cheese puffs. They both made with choux pastry with the only difference that chouquettes are sweet, and cheese puffs are salty.

Jump to:

• What are chouquettes?
• Variations of chouquettes
• What is pearl sugar?
• Why chouquettes recipe works
• Ingredients
• How to make chouquettes step by step
• Expert tips
• Frequently asked question
• More delicious teatime snacks you will love
• Chouquettes: French Pastry Sugar Puffs

What are chouquettes?

Chouquettes (pronounced shoo-kets) are French pastry sugar puffs made with choux pastry and sprinkled with pearl sugar.

“Pâte à choux, or choux pastry, is the Madonna of doughs,” as per Serious Eats. Chouquettes are the simplest member of the choux pastry family – cream puffs, eclairs, Paris-Brest, religieuses, and Saint Honorés.

The dough used to make these French pastry puffs is the same one that I used to make Heart-Shaped Cream Puff Dessert and Gruyere Cheese Puffs (Gougeres).

Variations of chouquettes

Classic French chouquettes are topped with pearl sugar, which is small chunks of the refined white sugar. That is why they are often called choux puffs with pearl sugar.

Another popular topping for chouquettes is chocolate chips: press them into puffs before baking. Crushed nuts (for example, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc.) combined with chocolate chips add an additional crunch to French puffs.

Sprinkle chouquettes with confetti candy sprinkles and give them a festive look. Use crushed Pink Praline on top of choux puffs for the romantic touch.

Top them with the caramelized popcorn and pearl sugar to create a new taste and texture. Or add grated marzipan, orange flower water, orange zest, and sprinkle choux puffs with flaked almonds to make Marzipan Chouquettes.

To make some twist on classic chouquettes, dunk the cooled puffs in a lemon glaze, and then into the sweetened shredded coconut or dip the top of each puff in the caramel, then in the toasted pine nuts.

Traditionally, pipe choux pastry using Ateco plain tip 804 or your favorite tip to give choux puffs playful variations. Let chouquettes cool down after baking and sprinkle them with powdered (icing) sugar if you prefer this simplest way of decoration.

What is pearl sugar?

Pearl sugar (also nib sugar, hail sugar, crystal sugar, and coarse sugar) is a hard, opaque white sugar that survives high oven temperatures due to its high melting point. It gives baked goodies their signature crystal appearance and lovely sweet crunch.

You can find pearl sugar at your local supermarket, exclusive baking supply shop, or buy it at King Arthur or on Amazon.

Why chouquettes recipe works

• They make a delightful snack between lunchtime and dinner and a perfect pick-me-up in the afternoon.
• It is one of the best baking projects to do with kids. Yes, they love to sprinkle choux puffs with pearl sugar; they love to eat chouquettes because of these sugar grains.
• Chouquettes make a great edible gift during the holidays. And they do not need to be packed fancy: a little paper bag holding about 10 of them is what your friends need.
• The recipe is easy to make and calls for a few ingredients you probably already have on hand. The only thing you will need to buy is pearl sugar.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions.

• Water, granulated sugar, salt.
• All-purpose flour: always sift flour with a flour sifter while baking.
• Butter: use a top-quality unsalted butter with a high butterfat content.
• Eggs: use large eggs for this recipe.
• Pearl sugar: use a store-bought one or make it yourself.
• 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water or milk to make the egg wash.

How to make chouquettes step by step

Preheat oven to 355 F/180 C. Line two baking sheets with the parchment paper.

Place water, butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan (photo 1) and bring to boil until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and add all the flour at once. Stir with a wooden spatula until the mixture is smooth.

Bring the saucepan on the heat and “dry the dough off,” continually stirring until it pulls away from the sides of the pan (photo 2).

Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the dough cool for about 2 to 5 minutes. Place it in a stand mixer or a regular large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until the dough is smooth and shiny (photo 3). If you beat in eggs manually, use a wooden spoon.

Transfer the preparation into a pastry bag fitted with Ateco plain tip 804 and pipe choux buns on parchment spacing them out (photo 4).

Brush the top of each mound with the egg wash (one egg yolk combined with one tablespoon of water or milk). Sprinkle pearl sugar over the top (photo 5).

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until the puffs are golden brown (photo 6). Let cool on a wire rack.

Expert tips

1. Pipe choux mounds with a pastry bag and a plain tip to get them uniform, although you can shape them with the use of two spoons or a small cookie scoop.
2. Use your fingertip to apply the egg wash and to slightly smooth the tops of piped choux buns instead of brushing them off.
3. Bake one baking sheet at a time for even baking if you prefer.
4. To increase the crispiness of puffs, poke a hole in the side or bottom with a sharp knife right after taking them out of the oven: let the steam escape.
5. Keep cooled chouquettes in an airtight container for a few days. 
6. Puffs with pearl sugar can be frozen in a Ziploc freezer bag for up to one month. To defrost, bring them at room temperature, then warm them up for 5 minutes in the oven at 300 F/150 C, until crisp.

Frequently asked question

Can you replace pearl sugar?

To make these French pastry sugar puffs, you can crush sugar cubes up into coarse chunks and use those, although they are not the same. You can also try to make pearl sugar yourself.

More delicious teatime snacks you will love

• Classic French Madeleines
• Banana Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting
• Brown Butter French Financiers
• Browse all the Cake Recipes

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