Chouquettes Recipe: French Sugar Choux Puffs

What Are Chouquettes

Chouquettes are bite-sized puffs made from choux pastry (pâte à choux). The dough is cooked briefly on the stovetop, eggs are beaten in to create a smooth, pipeable paste, and then small mounds are piped onto a baking sheet and baked until puffed and golden. What sets chouquettes apart from other choux-based pastries is the generous sprinkling of pearl sugar on top before baking, which stays intact and creates a crunchy, sugar-studded surface.

What Is Pearl Sugar

Pearl sugar (also called nib sugar or hail sugar) consists of large, coarse sugar crystals that resist melting in the oven. Because the grains do not dissolve during baking, they keep their shape and give a distinctive crunchy sweetness and attractive appearance to pastries like chouquettes.

Ingredients

Below are the ingredients required to make about 36 chouquettes. Exact measurements and the full recipe card are included further down.

For the Choux Dough

• 1 cup (240 ml) water or milk
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose or bread flour
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

For the Topping

• Pearl sugar (use genuine pearl sugar if possible; crushed sugar cubes can be used in a pinch). Avoid chocolate chips, which can burn at the high baking temperature used for choux.

How to Make Chouquettes

You can make this recipe by hand, with an electric mixer, or with a stand mixer. The method is the same: cook the dough briefly, incorporate the eggs one at a time, pipe the puffs, top with pearl sugar, and bake.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. In a medium saucepan combine the water (or milk), butter, and salt. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts and the liquid comes to a rolling boil.
3. Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Return to low heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the pan, about 2–3 minutes.
4. Transfer the dough to a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and cool for a couple of minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough may look separated at first but will become smooth, glossy, and pipeable.
5. Fit a piping bag with a large round tip (or use a spoon) and pipe small mounds about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter onto the prepared sheet, leaving space between them for puffing.
6. Generously sprinkle pearl sugar over each mound so it adheres to the dough. This is the signature touch that gives chouquettes their crunch and sparkle.
7. Bake on the lower oven rack for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C), then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for another 13 minutes or until the chouquettes are puffed and golden brown.
8. Turn off the oven and leave the puffs inside with the door closed for 10 minutes to help them dry out and avoid collapsing.
9. Remove the chouquettes from the oven and transfer to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. If you plan to fill them, allow them to cool completely first.

Tips for Success

• Use room-temperature eggs for easier incorporation and a more consistent dough.
• Watch the dough texture: it should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped, but not stiff. If it’s too thick, the puffs may be heavy; if too thin, they may collapse.
• Mark circles on the backside of your parchment using a 1–2 inch cookie cutter as a guide for uniform size, then flip the paper so the pencil marks are underneath.
• Do not open the oven door while the puffs are rising; sudden changes in temperature can cause them to deflate.
• After baking, leave the puffs in the turned-off oven with the door shut for 10 minutes to dry the interior slightly and reduce the chance of collapse.
• Chouquettes can be served plain, dusted with a little powdered sugar, or filled with pastry cream, whipped cream, ice cream, or any custard-based filling if you prefer a filled version.

Storing and Freezing

Chouquettes are at their best the day they are baked, when the contrast between the crisp exterior and tender interior is strongest. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. They may lose some crispness but remain tasty.

To freeze, place fully cooled chouquettes in a single layer in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to four weeks. Thaw at room temperature before serving. If you plan to fill the chouquettes, only fill them just before serving and keep filled pastries refrigerated.

Recipe Card — Chouquettes (about 36)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) water or milk
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose or bread flour
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• Pearl sugar for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine water (or milk), butter, and salt. Heat until boiling and the butter has melted.
3. Remove from heat, add the flour all at once, and stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the pan, 2–3 minutes.
4. Transfer dough to a bowl or mixer, cool slightly, then beat in eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth and glossy.
5. Pipe or spoon 1-inch mounds onto the prepared sheet, sprinkle with pearl sugar, and bake on the lower rack for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
6. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake 13 more minutes until golden and puffed.
7. Turn off oven and leave puffs inside with the door closed for 10 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool before serving or filling.

Notes

• Store chouquettes in an airtight container at room temperature up to three days; refrigerate filled pastries.
• Freeze baked chouquettes in a freezer bag for up to four weeks and thaw at room temperature.
• Use room-temperature eggs for best results.
• Do not substitute pearl sugar with chocolate chips, which can burn under high heat.