Ingredients
- 50g butter (for craquelin)
- 50g flour (for craquelin)
- 40ml amber Quebec maple syrup
- 125ml water (for choux)
- 50g butter (for choux)
- 75g flour (for choux)
- 2 eggs
- 1 pinch salt
Method
- Mix 50g butter, 50g flour, and 40ml maple syrup; roll thin between parchment paper and freeze.
- Boil water, 50g butter, and salt; stir in 75g flour vigorously, then beat in eggs one by one.
- Pipe choux rounds onto a sheet, top each with a disc of the frozen maple craquelin.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25 minutes without opening the oven door.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 50g brown sugar (in craquelin)
Conversion used: Replaced 50g brown sugar in the craquelin topping with 40ml maple syrup. Reduced baking temperature to 180°C (usually 195°C) to prevent the topping from burning before the choux is fully dried.
Why Quebec maple syrup: The maple craquelin creates a crisp, naturally caramelized, textured shell that elevates simple cream puffs into a gourmet Canadian delicacy.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →