All the best bits of tiramisu — espresso, mascarpone, chocolate, and cream — tucked inside a crackly-topped cream puff you can hold in one hand.
These cream puffs borrow all the best parts of tiramisu — the espresso, the mascarpone, the chocolate — and tuck them inside a golden shell capped with craquelin, that buttery cookie lid that bakes into a delicate, crackly crust. The filling is a velvet-smooth custard folded with white chocolate and mascarpone, lightened with whipped cream and speckled with dark chocolate for texture. Bite through the crisp top and airy pastry and you’re met with layers of coffee, cream, and crunch — all the familiar comfort of tiramisu, reimagined in a single, handheld puff.
Craquelin Topping
Ingredients
½ cup (4 oz / 115 g) light brown sugar
1 stick (4 oz / 115 g) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and softened to about 68°F / 20°C
1 scant cup (4 oz / 115 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use half as much if substituting table salt)
Instructions:
By hand: In a medium bowl, mash together the brown sugar and butter with a spatula until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
By stand mixer: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl before proceeding.
Add dry ingredients: Stir or beat in the flour and salt until no dry flour remains. The dough should look damp, slightly crumbly, and come together when pressed.
Form and roll the dough: Using your hands, gather the mixture into a ball (it will be sticky — don’t add extra flour). Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and flatten into a rectangle about 6 × 8 inches. Roll out to ⅛ inch thick (roughly 12 × 14 inches), lifting and repositioning the parchment if needed to prevent creases.
Chill: Transfer the rolled dough, still sandwiched in parchment, to a baking sheet. Freeze until firm, about 5 minutes, or refrigerate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, line a second baking sheet with parchment.
Cut rounds: Peel off the top sheet of parchment. Using a 2-inch round cutter, punch out about 18 circles of craquelin. Work quickly, transferring them to the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. If they stick, slide an offset spatula underneath to lift them cleanly.
Store extras: Return cut rounds to the freezer until ready to use. Scraps can be gathered, re-rolled, chilled, and cut again.
Makes about 14 puffs:
Ingredients
¼ cup water
¼ cup whole milk
4 Tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter
½ tsp granulated sugar
⅛ tsp salt
½ cup all-purpose flour, measured correctly
2 large eggs, room temperature
Instructions
Preheat & prep: Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Cook the dough base: In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.
Dry the dough: Return the pan to medium heat and stir constantly for 1½–2 minutes to cook off excess moisture. The dough should pull together into a smooth ball and leave a thin film on the bottom of the pan.
Cool slightly: Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute to let it cool slightly.
Add the eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat for another minute until the dough is smooth, glossy, and forms a thick ribbon when lifted.
Pipe the puffs: Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip. Pipe 14 rounds, each about 1½ inches wide and ½ inch tall, spacing them 1 inch apart. Smooth any peaks with a damp fingertip.
Optional: Place one craquelin disc directly on top of each mound of choux dough, centering it so it covers the surface evenly. As the puffs bake, the craquelin will melt and spread, forming a crisp, crackly topping.
Bake: Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then (without opening the oven) reduce the temperature to 325°F and continue baking for 20–22 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Cool: Transfer the puffs to a wire rack and let them cool completely before filling or serving.
For the pastry cream:
Ingredients
1 ½ cups whole milk, divided (1 cup + ½ cup)
½ cup (50 g) roughly crushed coffee beans
1 vanilla bean pod, split and scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla paste/extract)
3 large egg yolks (about 3 Tbsp / 45 g)
¼ cup (60 g) granulated sugar
6 Tbsp (50 g) cornstarch
½ cup (100 g) white chocolate chips
1 shot (1 oz) freshly brewed espresso
2 oz (50 g) mascarpone cheese
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
2 Tbsp (25 g) finely chopped dark chocolate, plus extra for garnish
Prepared cream puff shells (choux pastry)
Instructions
Infuse the milk: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of milk with the crushed coffee beans and vanilla bean pod (plus seeds). Bring just to a light boil, then remove from heat. Cover and steep for 30 minutes.
Whip the yolks: In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch on high for 3–5 minutes, until pale, thick, and doubled in volume.
Strain and heat: Strain out the coffee beans and vanilla pod. Stir in the remaining ½ cup milk and return to the saucepan. Heat gently until simmering.
Temper the eggs: Gradually pour half the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Beat for 6–8 minutes to help the eggs adjust to the heat.
Cook the pastry cream: Return everything to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and hold a ribbon.
Finish the custard: Remove from heat. Stir in the white chocolate and espresso until melted and smooth. Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate for 3–5 hours.
Fold in the extras: Once chilled, fold in the mascarpone and chopped dark chocolate (reserving some for garnish).
Lighten with cream: Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then fold it into the custard until smooth and airy.
Fill the cream puffs: Pipe the pastry cream into the cream puff shells until full, letting a little cream peek out. Sprinkle with the reserved chocolate specks before serving.