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.
128 K 3.8/5 (10 reviews)
55 min.
Easy
0.50 €
150 g
3 IngredientsLast modified on: February 10th 2019
50 g 
50 g brown sugar
50 g Times for this recipe
Preparation: 25 min.
Resting: 30 min.
All in all: 55 min.
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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.
How much will it cost?
- For 150 g : 0.50 €
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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
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.
61 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.
77 K 1 hour 45 min.
Choux pastry (pâte à choux)
Choux pastry is used for making profiteroles, eclairs and other small pastries.
558 K4.5 1 hour 4 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Flour
Like these other recipes: Nantes Tourton, Flaky brownie brioche, Lemon and lime cakes, Madeleines, Fish in a sesame crust, ... See them all 211
Brown sugar
Like these other recipes: Flaky brownie brioche, Croissant dough apples, Smart plum tart, Apple and whisky crumble, Little lemon biscuits, ... See them all 46
Butter
Like these other recipes: Two-cheese vegetable gratin, Mornay onion tart, Hollandaise sauce, Saltimbocca, Beurre d'escargot, ... See them all 486
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