These Oreo (cookies and cream) cream puffs (choux au craquelin) are almost too cute to eat! Given a deep colour and distinct Oreo flavour thanks to the help from black cocoa, these adorable treats are perfect pastry guarantees to impress.
The inspiration for these began while I was scrolling on TikTok and came across a video from a creator who shared a video on choux au craquelin (cream puffs) that she had made. After seeing their video, I was immediately sold and knew that I needed to make these. Of course, I had to put my twist on this and after many hours of research, trial & error, I am happy to finally share this with you!
Inspiration for this recipe
This recipe features characters from one of my favourite childhood movies, Spirited Away. I was never a movie buff, but this movie and many other masterpieces by Studio Ghibli have made an impact on me. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, it’s a must-see! Studio Ghibli has made its mark in pop culture. Throughout the process of this recipe, a nostalgic feeling came over me – this is my homage to one of my all-time favourite films! I will admit – I almost grew emotionally attached to these puffs of deliciousness by the end of it!
Love baking? Check out these other tasty recipes!
What is choux au craquelin?
If you’re unfamiliar with choux au craquelin, it is a choux pastry with a crackle cookie topping. According to a blog post shared by King Arthur Baking, it is said that “choux”, meaning “cabbages” in French, got its name because they resemble small cabbages when baked. What starts as a thick dough, is transformed into a delicate and light pastry, making it the perfect vessel for whipped cream and other decadent fillings. What sets choux au craquelin apart from regular pâte à choux is a “cookie” that is placed on top of the dough before baking. This cookie helps create perfect round tops and when baked, the result is a beautiful crackly and crunchy top. It’s truly the perfect contrast for any soft filling.
Straight-forward but technical recipe
I try to post recipes that are simple for the everyday cook but every now and again I like taking on a challenge. It’s a great way to step out of your comfort zone! Although this recipe uses basic ingredients, it is technical with numerous components
Get your choux pastry to the right consistency
To ensure that the choux pastry puffs up as it’s supposed to, you want to make sure that your dough is the right consistency. Though this recipe calls for 3 eggs, I recommend that you beat them in a separate bowl and add them gradually to your dough to avoid making your dough too loose.
The trick to getting the right consistency is very simple. Lift your spatula/mixing paddle directly up from the dough and if it forms a “V” shape, it’s perfect! Another important note is to keep your oven door closed while baking your choux! This will prevent them from going flat and soggy.
While doing research for this recipe, I watched this video by Helen Rennie. If you’re new to working with choux pastry dough, this video is a great resource and will give you plenty of tips on how to achieve the perfect choux!
Signature Oreo Flavour
Surprisingly, no food dyes are required to achieve the deep colour reminiscent of the Susuwatari. With the help of black cocoa, you’ll be able to achieve the look and also capture the distinct flavour of Oreo cookies. I get my black cocoa from my local bulk food store. If you do not have access to black cocoa powder, there are options on Amazon.
King Arthur Black Cocoa PowderFor peak freshness, it’s recommended that the cream filling is added right before serving. This will ensure that the choux stays crackly and you get that wonderful crunchy texture!
This has to be one of my favourite recipes to date. Not only are these Suswatari cream puffs absolutely adorable, they taste even better! As a novice baker, there is no doubt this recipe requires a bit more time and technique compared to my other go-to recipes but the results made it all worthwhile.
If you try making this I would love to see/hear your thoughts! If you share images/videos of your creation, feel free to tag me on Instagram or TikTok. I’d love to see how it turns out!
Soot Sprite Oreo Cream Puffs
Course: DessertCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: 412
servings2
hours50
minutes6
minutesThese Oreo cream puffs are almost too cute to eat! Given a deep colour and distinct Oreo flavour thanks to black cocoa, these adorable treats are perfect for the sweet tooth in your life.
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Ingredients
- Custard Cream Filling (Diplomat Cream)
1 1/2 cups 354 ml whole milk (354 ml)
3 3 egg yolks
3 tbsp 23 g cornstarch (23g)
1/4 cups 50 g granulated white sugar (50g)
Pinch Pinch salt
1 tsp 4.2 g vanilla extract (4.2g)
1 1/2 cups 354 ml heavy whipping cream (354 ml)
1/3 cups 35 g confectioners sugar (35g)
12 12 cookies & cream sandwich cookies (I used Oreos)
- Craquelin Dough
1/4 cup 57 g unsalted butter, softened (57g)
2/3 cup 95 g all-purpose flour (95g)
1/4 cup 50 g light brown sugar (50g)
3 tbsp 18 g black cocoa (18g)
- Choux Pastry
1 cup 240 ml water (240ml)
3 tbsp 42 g unsalted butter (42g)
2/3 cup 95 g all-purpose flour (95g)
3 tbsp 18 g black cocoa powder (18g)
3 large 3 large eggs (see notes)
- Decoration
candy eyes
star sprinkles or konpeito* for decoration
3 tbsp 44 g white chocolate, melted
Directions
- Custard Preparation
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and pinch of salt. Whisk until pale in colour.
- Add the milk to a medium saucepan and heat it on low heat. Do not let this come to a boil.
- Once heated, add a ladle of the milk to the egg mixture. Whisk until sugar is dissolved, then pour this mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
- Whisk continuously on low heat until the custard thickens. If your custard becomes too thick, add some milk to reach the desired consistency.
- Stir the vanilla in at the last moment once removed from the heat.
- Pour custard through a sieve and into a bowl or wide dish. Place cling wrap directly on top of the custard. Chill in fridge for at least 6 hours.
- Craquelin Preparation
- In a bowl or stand mixer, add softened butter, flour, and brown sugar. Sift in the black cocoa powder.
- Mix with spoon or paddle attachment until the mixture resembles wet sand.The dough should form when pressed together.
- Lay out a 17’ long piece of parchment paper and place craquelin dough on top.
- Form the dough so it comes together, then place another sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 3mm thick sheet. Place in fridge to firm up while preparing the choux pastry dough.
- Choux Preparation
- Whisk eggs together in a small bowl.
- In another bowl, sift together flour and black cocoa.
- In a pot, heat water and butter on medium heat.
- Once butter has melted and water is boiling, take the pot off the heat and add sifted flour and black cocoa mixture.
- Using a spatula, mix continuously until water is absorbed.
- Return pot to burner and continuously move dough around the pot on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Once the dough pulls away from the edges of the pot and it leaves a thin layer at the bottom of your pot, transfer it to a bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Gradually add eggs to the dough in 2-3 additions. You will know the dough is ready once it’s glossy and you can form a “V” with the dough when a spatula is lifted from the mixture.
- On a large piece of parchment paper, trace 2-inch circles. Flip paper over and place on baking sheet. This will act as a guide when piping the choux dough.
- Preheat oven to 375F
- While oven is preheating, place dough into a large piping bag.
- Pipe dough into circles onto parchment-line baking sheet.
- Remove craquelin dough from fridge. Remove first sheet of parchment paper then place it back on top. Carefully flip dough and remove other sheet of parchment.
- Use a 2 ½ inch circle cookie cutter to cut circles. A small offset spatula can help remove circles from parchment paper.
- Place craquelin dough on top of piped choux pastry.
- Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 30 minutes, then turn heat down to 338F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Do not open oven while baking.
- Making the Diplomat Cream
- While the choux pastry is baking, add sandwich cookies to a ziplock bag and crush them into a powder. You can also use a food processor for this step.
- In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream and confectioners sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Remove custard from fridge and stir with a spoon to remove lumps. Fold custard into whipped cream until fully incorporated.
- Once combined, fold in crushed sandwich cookies until fully incorporated. Chill in fridge.
- Assembly
- Once the choux are done baking, turn off oven and leave oven door slightly open for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove choux from oven and use a paring knife or small piping tip to create holes in the bottom of the pastry.
- Place on a cooling rack and allow to completely cool before adding cream filling.
- When choux are cooled, add whipping cookie filling to a large piping bag.
- Pipe cream into the choux, then decorate with candy eyes and stars using melted white chocolate to secure them.
Notes
- *For the eggs, you may not need to use the full amount of beaten egg until your choux dough achieves the right consistency.
- *Users on TikTok had a wonderful suggestion of using konpeito as decoration. Konpeito is a hard candy and what the soot sprites eat in Spirited Away. If you cannot find these, star sprinkles are an accessible option. If you want to learn more about konpeito, its history and how it’s made, Zenpop has an in-depth blog post with more information.
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