French Chouquettes (Sugar Puffs)

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Author: Delphine Fortin
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 25 chouquettes 1x
Category: Breakfast

Learn how to make French chouquettes from scratch from the comfort of your home! These small hollow choux puffs topped with pearl sugar are sweet, delicate, and perfect as an afternoon snack.

Ingredients

Scale

½ (120ml) cup water
½ (120ml) cup milk
½ cup (120g) unsalted butter, diced
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 ¼ cup (150g) all-purpose flour, sifted
4 large eggs
2–3 Tablespoons (about 30g) pearl sugar, to decorate

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 410°F( 210°C). Before you start, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. Place an empty clean mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) in the refrigerator.
In a saucepan, heat water, milk, butter, salt and granulated sugar on low heat, until melted. Remove the pan when the mixture begins to simmer.
Add in the sifted flour off the heat all at once, and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms. Return the saucepan back to the heat and keep stirring on low until the dough pulls away from the side and forms a ball. Transfer the dough to the cold mixing bowl and allow the dough to cool for a couple of minutes.
Still using a wooden spoon or using the stand mixer running on low, add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated before adding the next. If the dough separates, keep beating and it will come together again.
Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a plain round ½ inch tip (1 cm), and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Whilst holding the piping bag upright and keeping the tip of the piping tip touching the choux pastry, pipe 1 to 1.5-inch (2,5 cm to 4 cm) mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1-inch (2,5 cm) apart.* Sprinkle the pearl sugar on top, and tilt the baking sheet slightly to allow the extra pearl sugars to stick to the sides of the chouquettes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the puffs are golden brown (the baking time depends on the size of the puffs). Do NOT open the oven door while baking or the puffs will collapse. When ready, carefully transfer to a wire rack, allow to cool, and eat the same day, ideally within 4 hours.

Notes

Note. For step-by-step instructions, check my choux pastry recipe (it also comes with a video tutorial).

* Some recipes recommend to brush the pastry dough with egg wash before adding the pearl sugar. I personally doesn’t find it necessary. The chouquettes are delicious and nicely golden brown just as they are.