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.
114 K 3.8/5 (10 reviews)
55 min.
Easy
300 g
3 IngredientsLast modified on: February 10th 2019
For 300 g, you will need:
2⁄3 cup 
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup 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 | 9 RDI=4 % | 170 RDI=20 % | 90 RDI=10 % | 1,500 RDI=80 % | 6,280 RDI: 80 % |
| 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 300 g : 1.00 €
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
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.
64 K 1 hour 45 min.
Choux pastry (pâte à choux)
Choux pastry is used for making profiteroles, eclairs and other small pastries.
539 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.
50 K 3 hours 25 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Flour
Like these other recipes: Bonnevaux apple tart, Almond tuiles, Liège waffles, Fillet of salmon meunière, Doughnuts, ... See them all 201
Brown sugar
Like these other recipes: Gingerbread, Canadian apple crumble, Hazelnut and orange cake, Chantilly rice pudding, Quince and apple compote, ... See them all 44
Butter
Like these other recipes: Creamy polenta with green asparagus, Autumn apple and plum crumble pie, Chocolate sweetcrust pastry, Creamy spinach and potato gratin, Potato purée , ... See them all 470
Other recipes you may also like
Chestnut cake
This delightful cake is doubly chestnutty: it contains chestnut flour, and sweet chestnut purée.May 8th 2020339 K5 1 hour 15 min.
Fruit crumble
A fruit pudding: very easy to do and delicious: just a layer of fruit with a golden crunchy topping.February 21th 2011360 K4.0 1 hour 15 min.
Epiphany galette
Here is the recipe for the very classic but delicious "galette des rois" (Epiphany galette) in puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée) with almond cream or frangipane . You will also see some professional tips to easily handle the dough, and obtain a nice and regular galette.January 1st 2025295 K 24.5 3 hours 8 min.
Caramelised apple pie
Apple pie made with caramelised apples.September 11th 2018261 K4.3 1 hour 55 min.
Toasted almond cake
A layer cake, with toasted almonds in the chocolate part.July 5th 2016244 K4.4 2 hours 2 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-06-08)
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.