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Chouquettes Recipe (French Sugar Puffs)

Multiple baked chouquettes on parchment paper.
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Chouquettes are light French choux pastry puffs topped with crunchy pearl sugar, also known as French sugar puffs. This easy recipe makes about 60 puffs in around 45 minutes, perfect straight from the oven with tea or coffee.

Ingredients

Scale

For the choux pastry:

  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (250 ml) water
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (140 g) flour
  • 2.1 oz (60 g) butter (note #1)
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 8 1/2 teaspoons (40 g) sugar
  • 4 large eggs

For decorating:

* If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or prepare a silicone baking mat.
  2. To make the choux pastry dough, place the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring, until the butter melts. Remove from heat and add all the flour at once. Stir with a wooden spatula until the mixture is smooth. Bring the saucepan to medium heat and "dry the dough off," continually stirring until it pulls away from the sides of the pan.
  3. Remove the saucepan from 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. If you beat in eggs manually, use a wooden spoon.
  4. Transfer the pate a choux into a pastry bag fitted with an Ateco plain tip 804. Pipe choux buns the size of a walnut on the prepared baking sheet with parchment, spacing them out. Brush the top of each mound with the egg wash (one egg yolk combined with one tablespoon of water or milk). Sprinkle and press pearl sugar over the top and sides of each mound.
  5. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until the puffs are golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

Notes

  1. 60 g of butter equals 1/2 stick of butter.
  2. Pipe choux mounds with a pastry bag and a plain tip for uniform shapes, or shape them with two spoons or a small cookie scoop.
  3. Use your fingertip to apply the egg wash and slightly smooth the tops of piped choux buns instead of brushing them off.
  4. Bake one baking sheet at a time for even baking if you prefer. Don't open the oven door while baking.
  5. 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.
  6. Keep cooled chouquettes in an airtight container for a few days. 
  7. Puffs with pearl sugar can be frozen in a Ziploc freezer bag for one month. To defrost, bring them to room temperature, warm them up for 5 minutes in the oven at 300°F (150°C), until crisp.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/chouquettes-french-pastry-sugar-puffs/