These coconut choux buns were inspired by an unforgettable dessert we had in Paris - Cedric Grolet’s almond paris-brest. Those mouthfuls of perfectly baked pastries with a crunchy cookie crumb dough on top, filled with an airy and rich melt-in-your-mouth praline cream and dots of nutty praline… every element was incredible and we were over-the-moon to recreate them with toasty coconut flavours.

This coconut praline cream was the best and most luxurious pastry cream we had ever made to date. Our praline cream recipe starts with whipping our buttercream (which is a creme anglaise whipped with butter before combining with an Italian meringue) until smooth, then combining with our cooled pastry cream and toasted coconut praline paste.

The salted toasty aromas of coconut are seriously mouthwatering and really comes through. We ate so many spoonfuls of this praline cream by itself. We couldn’t resist!

Fun fact: coconut praline paste behaves just like a choc-top on ice cream - it sets on contact! We just love pouring this over cold desserts and watching it magically set.

Ingredients

Crunchy Coconut Craquelin Topping

• 80g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 100g brown sugar
• 100g all purpose flour
• 15g shredded coconut

Choux Dough

• 125g milk
• 125g water
• 5g salt
• 100g unsalted butter
• 150g all-purpose flour
• 200g eggs (4 large eggs) at room temperature

Choux Buns

• Choux dough
• Crunchy Coconut Choux Craquelin Topping
• 50g confectioners sugar to dust before baking

Pastry Cream Base

• 35g milk
• 25g cornflour
• 55g egg yolks
• 1g salt
• 280g milk
• 35g cream
• 70g caster sugar

Buttercream Base

• 45g milk
• 35g egg yolks (2 large egg yolks)
• 45g superfine sugar
• 200g unsalted butter

Italian Meringue

• 55g caster sugar
• 20g water
• 30g egg whites

Creamy Toasted Coconut Filling

• Pastry Cream Base
• Buttercream Base
• Italian Meringue
• 115g toasted coconut praline paste

Assembly

• 100g extra toasted coconut praline paste
• 20g shredded coconut to garnish

Method

Crunchy Coconut Craquelin Topping

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a stand mixer on low speed with a paddle attachment.
2. Roll the dough thinly (about 2mm) with a rolling pin in between 2 pieces of baking paper.
3. Store in the freezer until ready to use.

Choux Buns

1. Bring the milk, water and salt together to a boil.
2. Take off the heat, add the flour and return to heat working the mixture well for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is dry (it pulls away from the sides and starts to form a film on the bottom).
3. Transfer mixture to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed and allow mixture to cool slightly.
4. Add the eggs a little at a time waiting for them to fully incorporate before adding more.
5. Pipe the mixture about 3cm wide. 
6. Cut 4cm discs out of the craquelin and place on top of the piped choux dough.
7. Dust the tops with confectioners sugar.
8. Bake at 180°C for 40 minutes. Then turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar using a wooden spoon for a further 10 minutes.
9. Allow to cool completely at room temperature before adding the filling.

Pastry Cream Base

1. Whisk in sifted cornflour into half of the sugar (35g). Whisk in egg yolks.
2. Bring milk, cream and remaining sugar to a boil. 
3. Temper the egg mixture with a third of the milk mixture.
4. Combine entire mixture and whisk continuously until thickened.
5. Transfer to a tray and cool completely.

Buttercream Base

1. Prepare butter in stand mixer with whisk attachment.
2. Boil milk.
3. Whisk egg yolk with sugar.
4. Temper the egg mixture with a third of the milk.
5. Combine entire mixture and cook to 82-84°C to make an anglaise.
6. Pour the anglaise over the butter and whip together.

Italian Meringue

1. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks.
2. Boil the water and sugar to make a syrup and bring to 121°C.
3. While whisking, gradually pour the syrup into the egg white to form an italian meringue. Whisk to stiff peaks.

Creamy Toasted Coconut Filling

1. Fold italian meringue into the buttercream mixture.
2. Whisk the pastry cream and toasted coconut praline paste together until combined.
3. Fold together the italian meringue buttercream into the pastry cream and toasted coconut mixture.

Assembly

1. Cut the choux buns horizontally in half.
2. Pipe a blob of toasted coconut praline paste into the base of the choux.
3. Cover with a generous swirl of the coconut cream.
4. Pipe more coconut praline paste into the center of the swirl.
5. Place the top of the choux on top and garnish with shredded coconut.