Religieuse
Two light, airy choux puffs filled with silky vanilla pastry cream, glazed with dark chocolate ganache and finished with piped whipped cream mascarpone. The classic Parisian pastry shaped like a little nun!
Ingredients
For the choux pastry
- 125 ml whole milk
- 125 ml water
- 100 gr unsalted butter
- 150 gr plain flour sifted
- 200 gr eggs beaten
- 1.5 gr salt
For the crème pâtissière / pastry cream
- 500 ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla pod
- 4 eggs
- 100 gr caster sugar
- 45 gr corn starch
- 25 gr unsalted butter
For the ganache
- 150 gr dark chocolate (60–70%), chopped
- 150 ml Double cream
For the whipped cream mascarpone
- 150 ml Double cream cold
- 75 gr mascarpone cold
- 25 gr icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Equipment
- 2 saucepan
- stand mixer or mixing bowl
- piping nozzle 8cm or 10cm
- piping nozzle small to fill the choux
- piping nozzle star
Instructions
1. Make the components
- Make and bake the pâte à choux, piping 8 large buns (~5cm) and 8 small ones (~3cm). Make the crème pâtissière and chill it firm.
2. Fill the choux
- Whisk the pastry cream smooth. Using a fine nozzle, pipe it into each bun through a hole in the base until heavy. Fill all the large and small choux.
3. Make the ganache
- Warm the cream until it just steams and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Leave 1 minute, then stir from the centre until smooth and glossy. Let it cool to a coating consistency.
4. Glaze
- Dip each filled choux, large and small, in the ganache, coating the crown neatly. Let the excess drip back and set the choux down to firm up.
5. Stack
- Put a dab of ganache on top of each large choux and set a small one on top, pressing gently so it holds. Let it set.
6. Whip the whipped cream mascarpone
- Whip the cold cream, mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla to firm peaks, watching closely so it doesn't overwhip.
7. Decorate
- Fit a star nozzle and pipe a collar of chantilly mascarpone around the join between the two choux, in little peaks, with a small point on top if you like. Chill until serving.
Notes
- Fill the choux with firm, cold pastry cream whisked smooth, or it leaks out.
- Let the ganache thicken to a coating consistency before glazing, and use a dab as glue to hold the small choux on top.
- Don't overwhip the mascarpone cream. Stop at firm peaks.
- Assemble on the day you serve. Filled choux soften over time.