Welcome to the delightful world of **Chocolate Chouxnuts**, an innovative fusion dessert that masterfully blends the delicate elegance of French choux pastry with the comforting, familiar shape of a donut. These aren’t just any treats; they are a sophisticated take on a classic, offering a truly irresistible experience. Imagine a light, airy choux pastry, meticulously baked to golden perfection, then generously filled with the most decadent chocolate cream and crowned with a glossy chocolate glaze. It’s essentially a gourmet chocolate éclair reimagined as a donut, creating a dessert that is as visually stunning as it is delicious.
For those familiar with classic French patisserie, the base for these chouxnuts utilizes the same versatile choux pastry recipe I often use for my celebrated strawberry cream puffs. The luscious filling, a star in its own right, is my signature chocolate pastry cream, promising a rich, velvety interior that perfectly complements the crisp exterior of the choux.
Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Chocolate Chouxnuts
There’s an undeniable charm to these donut-shaped éclairs, and once you bite into one, you’ll understand why they’ve garnered such widespread adoration. Chocolate Chouxnuts (pronounced “shoo-nuts”) are more than just a dessert; they are a delightful culinary adventure, perfect for impressing guests, celebrating special moments, or simply treating yourself to something truly extraordinary. My personal journey with chouxnuts began after witnessing their artistry on the Great British Bake Off, inspiring me to create my own baked version, maintaining the authentic texture and preparation of a traditional éclair, rather than frying. This baking method results in a lighter, less greasy pastry that still achieves that coveted crispness.
Despite their gourmet appearance, these chocolate chouxnuts are surprisingly accessible to make at home. The process is broken down into manageable steps: the choux pastry itself is quick to assemble, the chocolate pastry cream is straightforward, and the chocolate glaze comes together in mere moments. While you will need to allocate some dedicated time for baking, cooling, and the satisfying assembly process, each stage is enjoyable and rewarding. The end result is a pastry that boasts a delicate, hollow interior, ideal for holding a generous amount of silky chocolate cream, all encased in a tender, slightly crisp shell, finished with a smooth, shiny chocolate topping.
A Breakdown of the Preparation Timeline:
- Choux Donuts: The active preparation for the pastry takes approximately 20 minutes. They then bake for about 50 minutes and require an additional 30 minutes to cool thoroughly. You can prepare the choux shells ahead of time. While they may soften slightly over time, a quick refresh in a warm oven can restore their crispness. Alternatively, some bakers find allowing them to stale slightly before reheating helps, without compromising the delicious flavor.
- Chocolate Pastry Cream: This rich, velvety filling takes around 15 minutes to cook and then needs sufficient time to cool completely to room temperature before it can be used for piping. This cooling step is crucial for achieving the perfect consistency.
- Chocolate Glaze: The final touch, the chocolate glaze, is incredibly fast to prepare, usually requiring no more than 1 minute to melt and combine ingredients.
- Assembly: Assembling the chouxnuts is where the magic happens and can take a little time. For the easiest piping experience, ensure your pastry cream is at room temperature. If you’re short on time, a clever shortcut is to simply slice the chouxnuts in half horizontally and spoon or pipe the filling in, transforming them into elegant chocolate sandwiches.
These chouxnuts are incredibly versatile when it comes to serving. While they are undoubtedly best enjoyed fresh, I have personally served them the day after preparation, and they were still met with rave reviews and thoroughly enjoyed by all. This flexibility makes them an excellent choice for entertaining, as components can be made in stages.
Essential Ingredients for Your Delectable Chocolate Chouxnuts
Crafting these multi-layered chocolate chouxnuts requires a few distinct components, each with its own set of ingredients. While the list might seem comprehensive, you’ll find most items are pantry staples, and none are particularly exotic. The careful selection of each ingredient plays a vital role in achieving the perfect balance of flavor and texture.
For detailed quantities and step-by-step instructions, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card below.
- Unsalted Butter: Employing unsalted butter in both the choux pastry and the glaze is key. This allows you complete control over the salt content, ensuring your chouxnuts are perfectly balanced in flavor without any unwanted savory notes in what is meant to be a sweet treat.
- All-Purpose Flour: Simple plain flour, also known as all-purpose flour, is the foundation of our choux pastry. Its protein content is ideal for developing the necessary structure and elasticity for the pastry to puff up beautifully.
- Granulated Sugar: A modest amount of white granulated or caster sugar is incorporated into the choux pastry for a touch of sweetness, while a more substantial portion sweetens the luxurious pastry cream.
- Large Eggs: You’ll need approximately 6 large eggs for this recipe, distributed between the choux pastry and the pastry cream. Eggs are crucial for both the structure and richness of these components.
- Salt: A small pinch of salt in the choux pastry is vital for enhancing and balancing all the flavors, preventing the pastry from tasting bland.
- Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids): For the ultimate chocolate experience, opt for a high-quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids. This deep, rich chocolate is essential for achieving the desired thickness, profound flavor, and overall intensity in your pastry cream and glaze. Quality matters here, as it significantly impacts the final taste.
- Whole Milk: Full-fat whole milk is recommended for the pastry cream. The higher fat content contributes to a creamier texture and richer flavor, making the filling truly indulgent.
- Cornflour (Cornstarch): This finely milled starch acts as a thickening agent for the chocolate pastry cream, giving it that classic smooth, luxurious consistency that holds its shape.
- Cocoa Powder: To amplify the chocolatey depth in your pastry cream, cocoa powder is a must. Both Dutch-process and unsweetened cocoa powder will work, each offering a slightly different nuance to the flavor profile.
- Vanilla Extract: Always reach for pure vanilla extract over synthetic vanilla essence. The natural, aromatic notes of real vanilla significantly enhance the overall flavor complexity of the chocolate cream.
- Glucose Syrup: This ingredient is a secret weapon for the glaze, contributing to its luscious texture and adding a beautiful, professional sheen. It also plays a practical role, preventing the chocolate from seizing when mixed with butter, especially given that many butters now contain a small percentage of water. If glucose syrup is unavailable, light corn syrup, rice malt syrup, or even golden syrup are excellent substitutes.
Should you desire an alternative to the rich chocolate glaze, a simple dusting of icing sugar (powdered sugar) offers a lovely, elegant finish that is equally delicious.
Essential Tools for Your Chouxnut Making Journey
Having the right equipment at hand will make the chouxnut-making process smooth and enjoyable. Here’s a list of the key tools you’ll need:
- Heavy-Based Saucepan: A saucepan with a thick bottom is crucial for cooking the choux pastry. It ensures even heat distribution, preventing the dough from burning on the bottom while allowing it to cook thoroughly.
- Wooden Spoon or Stand Mixer: For beating the choux pastry dough, a sturdy wooden spoon provides excellent leverage and control. Alternatively, a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment can make the process even easier, especially when incorporating the eggs.
- Piping Bags and Two Piping Tips/Nozzles: You’ll need at least two piping bags. One fitted with a large star or round tip (approximately 1 ½ cm opening) for shaping the chouxnuts, and another with a long puff nozzle or thin tube nozzle for filling the delicate pastry shells. Disposable piping bags are convenient for easy cleanup.
- Baking Sheets and Baking Paper: Two large baking sheets lined with baking paper are essential for baking your chouxnuts without sticking and ensuring even browning.
- General Mixing Bowls and Spatulas: A selection of mixing bowls of various sizes and flexible spatulas will be needed for preparing the pastry cream and glaze.
How to Master the Art of Making Chocolate Chouxnuts
I assure you, the process of creating each component for these exquisite chocolate chouxnuts is far simpler than it might appear. None of the steps are overly complicated; the key is simply to allocate enough time for baking and, crucially, for proper cooling. Patience is a virtue in pastry making, and it will be well rewarded here.
Comprehensive, detailed instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Crafting the Perfect Chouxnut Shells
- Prepare the Choux Pastry Base: Begin by combining butter, water, salt, and sugar in a heavy-based saucepan. Bring this mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat, ensuring all solids are dissolved. Once boiling, remove from heat and vigorously stir in the flour all at once. Return the saucepan to the heat and continue to beat the dough with a wooden spoon for approximately 2 minutes. This step, known as *dessécher*, dries out the pastry, forming a shiny film at the bottom of the pan, which is essential for a light and airy result. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
- Incorporate the Eggs: Lightly beat your eggs in a separate bowl. Gradually add the beaten eggs to the slightly cooled dough, a little at a time, beating vigorously after each addition until fully incorporated. The dough should transform into a thick, glossy, and smooth consistency that holds its shape. This process builds the structure that allows the choux to puff.
- Pipe the Chouxnut Rings: Transfer the prepared choux pastry to a piping bag fitted with a 1 ½ cm (approximately ½ inch) star or round piping tip. On baking sheets lined with parchment paper (you can draw 8cm/3 ¼ inch circles on the underside of the paper as a guide), carefully pipe circular rings of dough. Ensure uniform size for even baking.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Bake the chouxnut rings in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until they begin to turn a light golden color. Resist the urge to open the oven door during this initial phase, as it can cause the choux to collapse. After 30 minutes, rotate your baking trays for even cooking and continue baking for another 20 minutes, until they are beautifully golden brown and firm.
- Vent and Cool: Once baked, remove the chouxnuts from the oven. Using a chopstick or a small, sharp knife, carefully create two small holes on opposite sides of the base of each chouxnut. These holes are crucial for releasing steam and will be used later for filling. Turn the oven off, place the chouxnuts back inside with the oven door slightly ajar, and let them rest for an additional 30 minutes. This helps to dry out the interior and prevent them from becoming soggy. Finally, remove them and allow them to cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack before proceeding with filling and glazing.
Preparing the Luscious Chocolate Pastry Cream
The velvety heart of these chouxnuts is the chocolate pastry cream. While the full recipe can be found in my dedicated post on how to make chocolate pastry cream, the process is remarkably straightforward. It primarily involves gently heating a mixture of chocolate milk, then carefully tempering it into whisked eggs, and finally cooking the mixture until it thickens to a luxurious consistency. A final swirl of melted chocolate at the end ensures an intensely rich flavor. The entire preparation, from start to finish, typically takes only about 15 minutes. For a delightful alternative, you could also consider using my rich and smooth chocolate cremeux as a filling, which offers a slightly different, yet equally indulgent, experience.
Whipping Up the Silky Chocolate Glaze
- Effortless Melting: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine your finely chopped dark chocolate, butter, and glucose syrup. Heat this mixture in short bursts of 30 seconds, stirring thoroughly after each interval, until all the ingredients are fully melted and perfectly combined into a smooth, glossy glaze. This should take no more than a minute in total. For a gentler approach, you can also melt the mixture over a bain-marie (double boiler).
Assembling Your Irresistible Chocolate Chouxnuts
- Generously Fill: Transfer your cooled, room-temperature chocolate pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a long puff nozzle. Gently insert the nozzle into one of the pre-drilled holes at the base of each chouxnut. Pipe the cream into the shell, first in one direction, then rotating the nozzle to fill the other side, until you feel a slight resistance, indicating the chouxnut is full. Be careful not to overfill.
- Dip and Set: Once filled, delicately dip the top surface of each chouxnut into the prepared chocolate glaze. Allow any excess glaze to drip off, then place the chouxnuts glaze-side up on a wire rack. This allows the glaze to set beautifully, forming a smooth and shiny finish.
And just like that, your magnificent Chocolate Chouxnuts are complete and ready to be enjoyed! This simple assembly brings all the elements together into one spectacular dessert.
Tricks and Tips for Chouxnut Perfection
Achieving chouxnut perfection is within reach with these expert tips and tricks:
- Mindful Egg Addition for Choux Pastry: When adding eggs to your choux pastry, exercise caution and add them gradually. The goal is to achieve a smooth, slightly glossy dough that forms a “V” shape when lifted with a spoon. You may not need all of the eggs listed in the recipe; typically, around 3 ½ large eggs are sufficient. Over-hydrating the dough can lead to a pastry that won’t puff correctly, so trust the visual cues of the dough’s consistency over strictly adhering to the exact egg quantity.
- Pre-Drawing Circles on Baking Paper: For perfectly uniform chouxnuts, use a non-toxic marker to draw 8cm (3 ¼ inches) circles on one side of your baking paper. A round cookie cutter of the appropriate size makes this task simple. Once your guides are drawn, flip the paper over so the ink doesn’t transfer to your pastry. This method provides a clear template for consistent piping.
- Mastering the Piping Technique: Fit your piping bag with a tip that has an opening of approximately 1 ½ cm (just over ½ an inch). Hold the piping tip about 1 ½ cm above the baking paper. Apply gentle, steady pressure to the thick end of the bag to ensure a continuous, even flow of dough, creating beautifully shaped rings.
- Rectifying Piping Mistakes: Don’t fret if a chouxnut doesn’t turn out in your desired shape or size. Choux pastry is forgiving! Simply scrape up the imperfect pastry from the baking paper and re-pipe it. The dough can be reused without any negative impact on its quality.
- Tempering Eggs for Pastry Cream: When combining the hot milk mixture with the eggs for the pastry cream, always temper the eggs. This means slowly drizzling the hot liquid into the beaten eggs while whisking constantly and vigorously. This gradual increase in temperature prevents the eggs from scrambling, ensuring a silky-smooth pastry cream.
- Alternative Filling Method: If you find using a long puff nozzle challenging, or simply prefer an easier approach, you can slice the cooled chouxnuts in half horizontally. Then, simply pipe or spoon the chocolate pastry cream directly onto the bottom half before replacing the top. Be mindful not to overfill them using this method, as you want to ensure you have enough pastry cream for all your chouxnuts.
Optimal Storage Solutions for Chocolate Chouxnuts
Chocolate chouxnuts, like many delicate pastries, are undoubtedly **best enjoyed fresh**. Their texture and crispness diminish quickly over time, making immediate consumption ideal. However, if you find yourself with leftover filled chouxnuts – and it would be a shame to waste such a delicious treat – the most effective way to preserve them is by freezing. Arrange the filled chouxnuts in a single layer within an airtight container to prevent them from sticking together and maintain their shape. They can be frozen for up to 3-4 days. To enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature for approximately one hour.
For greater flexibility, **unfilled chouxnut shells can be frozen** for a longer duration. Again, store them in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to use them, they can be thawed and crisped up in a warm oven before filling and glazing.
Can You Prepare Chocolate Chouxnuts in Advance?
Absolutely! The beauty of this recipe lies in its adaptability for make-ahead preparation, allowing you to enjoy fresh chouxnuts without all the last-minute rush.
The **choux pastry dough can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance**. After making the dough, transfer it to an airtight container and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dough to prevent a skin from forming. Store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake, simply transfer the chilled dough directly into a piping bag and proceed with piping and baking as usual.
Similarly, the **chocolate pastry cream is an excellent component to make ahead of time**. Once cooked, transfer it to a bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto its surface, and refrigerate. Before you plan to fill your chouxnuts, remove the pastry cream from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. This will make it significantly easier to pipe and achieve a smooth, consistent filling. You can even take it out of the refrigerator while your chouxnuts are baking, allowing them both to reach the ideal temperature simultaneously for assembly.
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If you embark on making this chocolate chouxnuts recipe, please take a moment to leave a rating and a comment below. Your feedback is invaluable, I genuinely love hearing about your culinary experiences, and it greatly assists other readers in their baking endeavors!
More Delectable Pastry Recipes You’ll Adore
If you’ve enjoyed the journey of creating these chocolate chouxnuts, you’ll love exploring these other fantastic pastry recipes from my kitchen:
- Strawberry Cream Puffs: A classic and beloved treat, light pastry filled with fresh strawberry cream.
- Chantilly Cream (French Whipped Cream): Master the art of this elegant, lightly sweetened cream, perfect as an accompaniment to almost any dessert.
- How to Make Danish Pastry: A foundational guide to creating flaky, buttery Danish pastry from scratch.
- Custard Danish Pastry: A timeless Danish filled with a rich, creamy custard.
- Lemon Danish Pastry: Bright and zesty, these Danish pastries offer a refreshing citrus twist.
- Chocolate Sprinkle Donuts: For a more traditional donut experience, these fun and festive chocolate donuts are always a hit.
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Chocolate Chouxnuts
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For a visual guide to making these delicious chouxnuts, please check the video available on the original blog post.
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOUX PASTRY
- 95 g flour (¾ cup / 3.4oz)
- ⅔ cup water (160ml)
- 85 g butter (3oz / ¾ stick)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3-4 large eggs, room temperature
CHOCOLATE CREME PATISSIERE
- See this recipe
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
- 150 g dark (70%) chocolate, finely chopped (5.3oz)
- 57 g butter (¼ cup / 2oz / ½ stick)
- 1 tablespoon glucose syrup (or light corn syrup) (notes)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper.
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FOR THE CHOUX PASTRY: Combine water, butter, sugar and salt in saucepan and heat over medium heat until it starts to boil.
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Add the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Cook, beating and moving constantly, for a further 2 minutes or until you see a shiny film on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
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Beat 3 eggs lightly. Add about ⅓ of the eggs to the dough and beat with a wooden spoon until fully combined (or you can use a stand mixer with paddle attachment). Repeat with the remaining eggs half at a time until each is fully incorporated.
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If it’s not smooth and glossy yet, lightly beat a 4th egg. Add it a little at a time until your dough is smooth and a little glossy. You may not need the whole last egg so don’t add more than you need.
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Once the dough is the right consistency you can pipe immediately. Prepare a piping bag with a 1 ½cm (just over ½ inch) large open star nozzle (or round) then fill it with the dough.
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Using a non-toxic marker, trace around a round cookie cutter about 8cm (3 ¼ inches) in diameter.
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Flip the paper and place on your baking tray. Holding the piping tip about 1 ½ cm above the paper, pipe circles of dough using the drawn circle as a guide.
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Bake for 30 minutes or until light golden (don’t open the oven before this point). Turn the trays and cook another 20 minutes until golden brown.
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Remove the trays from the oven and use a chopstick or small knife to carefully drill two small holes, opposite one another, in the base of each chouxnut.
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Turn the oven off and place the puffs back in with the door wedged open to rest for half an hour.
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Take them out and let them cool to room temperature before filling and topping.
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FOR THE FILLING: Make this chocolate creme patissiere while they cool. let it cool at room temperature until it is at room temperature.
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FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Combine the glaze ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments, stirring well between each, until fully melted and combined. You can also do this over a bain marie if you prefer.
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ASSEMBLE THE CHOUXNUTS: If the pastry cream is in the fridge, take it out ½ an hour before you start piping.
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Transfer the pastry cream to a large piping bag fitted with a long puff nozzle (notes). Pipe the filling into the holes in the base of each chouxnut, Point it one way and fill, then point in the other direction and fill until you feel a slight resistance, then repeat on the other side – if you leave the chouxnut sitting on the tray as you do this, the pressure will push the piping tip out.
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Dip the tops in the chocolate glaze then let them set upright on a wire cooling rack to set. Can be eaten nearly immediately or you can chill until required.
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Notes
- Tablespoon: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons).
- Glucose syrup: Glucose syrup can be substituted for light corn syrup, golden syrup or rice malt syrup.
- A long puff nozzle is a piping tip that has a long narrow tube and it’s perfect to poke inside cream puffs, eclairs and donuts to fill the centres. If you don’t have one, or don’t want to get one, you can make larger holes in the base of the chouxnuts, then just poke the piping bag into the holes.
- The pastry cream is the perfect amount for 9 chouxnuts, just, so don’t overfill them. If you’re worried about not having enough, just fill each with a little filling, then go back and fill up further at the end. They should feel quite weighty when full.
- See the post for more tips and tricks and storage options.
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