Heavenly Brown Butter Chouquettes Recipe: Golden Puffs of Joy

Golden, crisp pastry puffs dance with a nutty brown butter complexity that elevates these classic chouquettes to a delightful French treat.

The rich brown butter essence weaves through delicate choux pastry, creating an irresistible bite-sized delight.

Sprinkled with pearl sugar, these elegant morsels offer a perfect balance of crunch and softness.

Each chouquette carries the warmth of traditional French bakery techniques with a modern twist.

Skilled bakers know these little gems require precision and patience.

The subtle caramel notes from brown butter add depth to the light, airy pastry.

You’ll fall in love with this simple yet sophisticated recipe that turns an ordinary afternoon into a gourmet experience.

These chouquettes promise to be the star of any gathering, beckoning everyone to savor their delicate charm.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Calories: 66 kcal

Servings: 21

Brown Butter Chouquettes: Ingredients to Get Started

• Brown Butter: Adds rich, nutty depth and complex flavor profile to the pastry, selecting high-quality unsalted butter ensures better caramelization.
• Milk, Water: Provides essential moisture and helps create smooth, elastic dough structure.
• Salt: Enhances overall taste and balances sweetness in the pastry.

• Flour: Crucial for creating structure and achieving perfect choux pastry texture, using fresh all-purpose flour guarantees better rise.
• Eggs: Bind ingredients together and contribute to light, airy texture, room temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly.

• Vanilla: Introduces warm, aromatic undertone that complements brown butter's richness.
• Sugar: Adds subtle sweetness and helps with golden browning during baking.
• Swedish Pearl Sugar: Provides delightful crunch and decorative sparkle on top of chouquettes, selecting coarse, white sugar crystals ensures best visual and textural impact.

What You’ll Need to Make Brown Butter Chouquettes

• Stand mixer: Essential for mixing dough with paddle attachment and incorporating eggs smoothly.
• Piping bag: Needed to pipe precise chouquette shapes with a round tip.
• Medium saucepan: Perfect for browning butter and creating golden, nutty flavor.
• Baking sheets: Two lined with parchment paper for even baking.
• Parchment paper: Crucial for preventing sticking and easy circle tracing.
• Round piping tip: Helps create uniform and professional pastry shapes.
• Wet fingertip: Used to flatten any pointed edges on the pastries.
• Wire cooling rack: Allows air circulation for crisp chouquettes after baking.
• Knife: Helps create small vents in pastries for proper cooling.

Directions for Baking Brown Butter Chouquettes Perfectly

• Brown Butter Magic

Begin by transforming butter into a golden elixir. Heat butter in a pan, watching as it sizzles and shifts from pale yellow to a rich, nutty amber. The aroma will fill your kitchen with warmth.

• Dough Preparation

Create a smooth batter by combining liquids and flour in a pot. The mixture will come together quickly, turning into a glossy, thick paste that pulls away from the pot’s sides.

• Egg Incorporation

Gently fold eggs into the warm mixture, creating a silky, glossy dough. The texture should be smooth and ribbony, falling softly from your spatula.

• Piping Perfection

Carefully pipe delicate mounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle generously with sparkling pearl sugar, which will create a sweet, crunchy crown.

• Baking Transformation

Slide the sheet into a hot oven. Watch as the little puffs rise and turn golden, their edges crisp and centers light and airy. The kitchen will fill with an irresistible sweet, buttery fragrance.

• Cooling and Enjoying

Let the chouquettes rest briefly, creating tiny vents to release steam. Their crisp exterior and tender interior will beckon you to take a delightful bite.

Expert Tips for Flavoring Brown Butter Chouquettes

• Customize the brown butter by adding a pinch of fresh thyme or rosemary during browning for a subtle herbal twist that enhances the nutty undertones.
• Check egg incorporation by lifting the paddle and watching the batter – it should form a smooth, glossy triangle that slowly falls back into the mixture, indicating ideal texture.
• Keep chouquettes crisp by storing in an airtight container with a small silica gel packet to absorb moisture, extending their delicate crunch for 2-3 days.
• Experiment with different sugars like demerara or turbinado instead of Swedish pearl sugar for unique texture and caramelized flavor profiles that add delightful crunch.
• Practice piping on parchment paper first to master the wrist flick and consistent size, ensuring each chouquette looks professionally crafted and uniformly beautiful.

Serving Brown Butter Chouquettes the French Way

• Sprinkle with Sweet Indulgence: Top these delicate chouquettes with a dusting of powdered sugar for an extra touch of elegance and sweetness that melts beautifully on the warm pastry.
• Create a Decadent Dessert Plate: Arrange the chouquettes alongside a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a rich chocolate sauce for a restaurant-worthy presentation that will impress guests.
• Pair with Perfect Beverages: Serve these light pastries with a steaming cup of French press coffee or a delicate Earl Grey tea to complement their buttery, golden texture and enhance the overall tasting experience.
• Host a Pastry Gathering: Arrange the chouquettes on a beautiful platter with fresh berries and a selection of other small French pastries for a charming afternoon tea or brunch spread that feels instantly sophisticated.

Store Brown Butter Chouquettes for Maximum Freshness

• Maximize Freshness: Store chouquettes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, maintaining their crisp exterior and delicate texture.
• Quick Freezing Strategy: Wrap individual pastries in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 1 month, ensuring a delightful treat is always within reach.
• Revive and Refresh: Bring frozen or day-old chouquettes back to life by warming briefly in a 325°F oven for 3-5 minutes, restoring their original golden crispness.
• Make-Ahead Magic: Prepare the choux pastry dough up to 24 hours in advance, storing it covered in the refrigerator for convenient baking when desired.

Golden Brown Butter Chouquettes Recipe

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4.8 from 31 reviews

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 21 1x

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Description

Classic French pastry brown butter chouquettes showcase delicate puffs sprinkled with pearl sugar, offering a rich and elegant treat. Crisp exteriors and delicate interiors invite bakers to explore this simple yet sophisticated Parisian-style dessert.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 240 g eggs (lightly beaten, plus more if needed)
• 125 g whole milk
• 125 g water
• 165 g all-purpose flour
• 110 g unsalted butter (brown butter)
• 15 g sugar
• 5 g kosher salt
• 5 g vanilla bean paste
• Swedish pearl sugar (for topping)

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Instructions

1. Brown Butter Creation: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it transforms into a golden-brown hue with a rich, nutty fragrance. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.
2. Preparation Setup: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper, creating discreet 1 1/4 inch circle guides by flipping the paper after tracing.
3. Dough Base Formation: Combine milk, water, brown butter, salt, vanilla extract, and sugar in a pot. Bring to a vigorous boil, then immediately remove from heat. Swiftly integrate flour, returning to heat and stirring continuously for 2 minutes to eliminate excess moisture.
4. Mixing and Incorporation: Transfer mixture to a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed to reduce temperature, then gradually introduce eggs on low speed until achieving a smooth, consistent texture.
5. Piping and Topping: Fill a piping bag with a round tip and carefully pipe dough onto prepared circles, using a subtle wrist motion. Smooth any pointed edges with a moistened fingertip. Liberally dust Swedish pearl sugar over the piped dough.
6. Baking Process: Place in preheated oven and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 10-15 minutes until achieving a golden-brown exterior.
7. Finishing Touch: Create small vents in each chouquette using a knife. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely, ensuring a crisp and delicate pastry texture.

Notes

• Butter Browning Technique: Carefully monitor butter while browning to achieve a golden-brown color without burning, which develops a rich, nutty flavor essential to the recipe’s unique taste.
• Dough Consistency Check: Evaluate dough thickness by ensuring it’s smooth and pulls away from the pot’s sides during mixing, indicating proper moisture removal and texture.
• Piping Precision: Use a steady hand when piping to create uniform circles, ensuring even baking and consistent size for professional-looking chouquettes.
• Sugar Sprinkling Strategy: Apply Swedish pearl sugar generously before baking to create a delightful crunchy exterior that adds texture and visual appeal to the final pastry.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: French

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 21
• Calories: 66
• Sugar: 0.7g
• Sodium: 10mg
• Fat: 3.4g
• Saturated Fat: 2.1g
• Unsaturated Fat: 1.3g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 8.5g
• Fiber: 0.3g
• Protein: 1.5g
• Cholesterol: 31mg