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DessertsFrench
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!
Prep1 hour
Cook30 minutes
Total2 hours
Servings8 religieuses
DifficultyAdvanced
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Whip the whipped cream mascarpone
- Whip the cold cream, mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla to firm peaks, watching closely so it doesn't overwhip.
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.
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