Craquelin (sweet cracker dough)
This sweet cracker dough ("craquelin" in French) is a very simple mixture: equal parts of flour, butter and light brown sugar. It is simlilar to a shortbread dough and can be rolled out very thinly and cut into any shape as desired. Craquelin is mostly used (though not exclusively) on top of choux pastry (pâte à choux) to give a more attractive and regular result, with eclairs, for example, and gives them a delicious crisp crust on the top.
This is very much the current trend in French patisserie: less icing, at least on choux pastries, and more use of "craquelin". The pastries lose a bit of colour, but are less sweet and are crisper.
This is very much the current trend in French patisserie: less icing, at least on choux pastries, and more use of "craquelin". The pastries lose a bit of colour, but are less sweet and are crisper.
110 K 3.8/5 (10 reviews)
55 min.
Easy
150 g
3 IngredientsLast modified on: February 10th 2019
For 150 g, you will need:
50 g 
50 g brown sugar
50 g Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 25 min.
Resting: 30 min.
All in all: 55 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 5 min.
Stage 2 - 5 min.
Knead on medium speed until the dough is evenly mixed.
Stage 3 - 3 min.
Gather the dough into a flat cake and pat this out with your hand on a sheet of plastic film and cooking papers (very important, as the craqulelin dough tends to stick easily).
Stage 4 - 30 min.
Lay a second sheet of cooking parchment over the top, then roll out thinly with a rolling pin to about 1/8 of an inch (2 or 3 mm) maximum.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Stage 5 - 3 min.
After this time, lay the dough on the worktop and gently remove the top sheet of paper.
Dust the dough with a little flour.
Dust the dough with a little flour.
Stage 6 - 3 min.
Turn the dough over onto the floured side, then gently remove the other sheet of paper.
Your craquelin is now ready for cutting out.
Your craquelin is now ready for cutting out.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
Use cutters to cut out any shapes you want. Here I'm cutting small circles to use on choux puffs.
Stage 8
Sit a circle of caquelin on each mound of choux, put in the oven immediately and bake as usual.
Stage 9
When they come out of the oven, you will see how lovely and regular your choux puffs are when topped with craqulin.
Remarks
If you use softened butter, which has been out of the fridge for at least an hour, you will find the mixing at stage 2 far easier and quicker.
This recipe does not call for salted butter, but it is fine to use it if that's all you have to hand.
This recipe does not call for salted butter, but it is fine to use it if that's all you have to hand.
Keeping: 1 or 2 days in the fridge, covered with plastic film.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 4 RDI=2 % | 90 RDI=8 % | 40 RDI=6 % | 750 RDI=40 % | 3,140 RDI: 40 % |
| Per 100 g | 3 RDI=1 % | 60 RDI=5 % | 30 RDI=4 % | 500 RDI=30 % | 2,090 RDI: 30 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 150 g : 0.50 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipe
Choux pastry (pâte à choux)
Choux pastry is used for making profiteroles, eclairs and other small pastries.
535 K4.5 1 hour 4 min.
Galette de Fougerolles
This Galette de Fougerolles is a flattish cake filled with a hazelnut buttercream and topped just before baking with a "craquelin" (sweet cracker) crust, studded with griottine cherries.
47 K 3 hours 25 min.
Mini Mont-Blanc choux puffs
These mini choux puffs are topped with a layer of craquelin and filled with Mont-Blanc cream: a mixture of whipped cream and sweetened chestnut purée.
61 K 1 hour 45 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Brown sugar
Like these other recipes: Oatmeal and apple cookies, Moist cereal bars, Rolled chestnut and apple brioche, Crisp apricot and pistachio tart, Tarte à l'coloche, ... See them all 43
Butter
Like these other recipes: Spaghetti with mussels and basil, Rosemary steamed fish, Potato Waffles with Smoked Salmon, Arizona cupcakes, Harvest Gratin, ... See them all 461
Flour
Like these other recipes: Fillet of salmon meunière, "Moelleux" cake batter, Invisible apple cake, Breton sablé biscuit dough, Sandwich bread, ... See them all 199
Other recipes you may also like
Brioche dough
It's a soft and rich dough, with butter and eggs which give a smooth and incredibly tasty brioche. This is the basic recipe for brioche dough, used for all other brioche-based recipes on the site.September 16th 2020525 K 44.2 14 hours 30 min.
Creamy risotto with vegetables
Risotto is one of the many delights of italian cooking... Here is a version with vegetables cooked separately, and their stock used to cook rice. Delicious, as you will see...June 12th 2011387 K5 2 hours 55 min.
Pistachio powder or paste
Pistachio paste has a similar texture to almond paste, but the similarity ends there, as its flavour and colour are quite characteristic.October 13th 2010377 K 154 50 min.
Leek and tuna loaf
This loaf is a savoury cake (quite popular in France) made with tinned tuna and leeks that have been lightly cooked with shallot.October 3rd 2010194 K4.4 1 hour 20 min.
Mushroom Pancakes au Gratin
This recipe uses pan-fried mushrooms and shallots in cream as the filling for Breton "galettes": traditional buckwheat pancakes. The stuffed pancakes are then baked gratin-style with cheese and cream.May 10th 2023136 K4.6 55 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-03-30)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.