Coconut Craquelins Recipes

CREAM PUFF "CRACK BUNS" (CHOUX AU CRAQUELIN)

Steps:

• Mix butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt together in a large bowl using a spatula. Place dough between two sheets of waxed paper or inside a zip-top bag. Press or roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Trim off the edges slightly to get a rectangular shape, if desired. Freeze crust until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
• Combine water, butter, and salt in a saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add flour; stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes together into a smooth dough and pulls away cleanly from the bottom of the pan. Transfer to a bowl and spread out with a whisk to speed up cooling. Cool until warm, about 10 minutes.
• Whisk eggs, one at a time, into the pastry, mixing well after each addition. Finish mixing with a spatula. Scoop pastry into a pastry bag and pipe into 6 to 8 buns on the baking sheet. Smooth out tops with a wet finger.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut crust into circles about the diameter of the buns. Lightly push crusts onto the buns, just enough to secure them.
• Place buns in the preheated oven. Immediately reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake until browned and fully puffed, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer buns onto a cooling rack and place rack back on the baking sheet. Place in the turned-off oven, leave door partially open, and let cool completely, at least 20 minutes.
• Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Spread a few teaspoons of melted chocolate onto the bottom of each bun. Gently press each chocolate base back on the baking sheet to spread it evenly. Let chocolate harden, about 1 hour.

COCONUT CRAQUELINS

Steps:

• Dice the butter and blend it with the flour until the mixture is the texture of fine meal. Blend in the 1/2 cup sugar and the salt. Add the coconut and the egg, folding the dough over itself several times until it is homogeneous.
• Divide it in half, and form two rolls, each 1 inch in diameter. Wrap them in plastic, and refrigerate for three hours or overnight.
• After the dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Brush the rolls lightly with water, roll them in the remaining sugar and slice on a slant 1/4 inch thick. Place them on the baking sheet, and bake 15 to 17 minutes, until they are golden on the bottom.
• Turn the cookies over, and turn the oven off. Leave the cookies in the oven another 10 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack.