Religieuse

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Heat 500 g whole milk in a saucepan until it steams; meanwhile, whisk 100 g egg yolks with 100 g granulated sugar and 40 g cornstarch. Pour the hot milk into the yolks, tip everything back into the pan and stir constantly over medium heat. Stirring nonstop keeps the cream from catching on the bottom or turning lumpy. The cream is ready when it has bubbled up a few times and thickened like mayonnaise.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Take the pan off the heat, immediately add 80 g finely chopped dark chocolate and 25 g unsalted butter and stir until fully melted. The heat of the cream is enough to melt the chocolate without scorching it. The cream is ready when it is an even deep brown, glossy and smooth with no streaks of chocolate.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Spread the cream in a shallow dish, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill it in the fridge for about two hours. Wrap that touches the cream stops a dry skin from forming, and the shallow dish helps it cool quickly and safely. It's ready when it is completely cold and firm; whisk it for a few seconds to smooth it before piping.

   Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Preheat the oven to 180°C, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and draw guide circles on the underside of the paper: six 5 cm circles on one sheet and six 3 cm circles on the other, multiplied by the number of pastries you're making. The guides keep the puffs the same size so they stack evenly. You're ready when the oven is hot and the circles show clearly through the paper.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Put 120 g water, 120 g whole milk, 100 g unsalted butter, 4 g granulated sugar and a pinch salt in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, then dump in 140 g all-purpose flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for about two minutes. Cooking the dough over the heat drives off some moisture so it can absorb more egg. It's ready when it gathers into a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides and leaves a thin film on the bottom of the pan.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Transfer the dough to a bowl, beat it for a few minutes to cool it slightly, then gradually add 240 g beaten eggs a little at a time, only adding more once the last addition is fully absorbed. Adding the eggs slowly lets you control the consistency, since you may not need all of them. The dough is ready when it is glossy and smooth and falls from the lifted paddle in a V shape that slowly drops off.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Spoon the dough into a piping bag with a round tip and pipe large puffs over the 5 cm circles and small ones over the 3 cm circles, holding the bag straight up and flicking it off quickly at the end. Gently smooth down the pointed tips with a wet fingertip. Smoothing the tips keeps the puffs evenly round and stops the tops from burning. You're done piping when the puffs are all the same height, smooth on top and at least three centimeters apart.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Bake the sheet of small puffs at 180°C for about 20 to 25 minutes, without opening the oven door for the first fifteen minutes. Opening the oven early lets the steam escape and makes the shells collapse. The small puffs are done when they are round and puffed, evenly golden brown, golden even in the cracks and feel light when picked up.

   Bake at 180°C for about 20 to 25 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Bake the sheet of large puffs at 180°C for about 30 to 35 minutes, then turn off the oven, prop the door open and leave them inside for five more minutes. The longer bake dries out the inside of the large puffs and makes them sturdy enough to hold the small puffs on top. They're ready when the shells are firm, sound hollow when tapped and don't soften once out of the oven.

   Bake at 180°C for about 30 to 35 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Once the shells have cooled completely on a wire rack, poke a hole in the bottom of each with a small piping tip and pipe in the chocolate cream until full. Filling from the bottom keeps the tops clean and smooth for dipping in the glaze. Each puff is full when it feels heavy in your hand and a little cream just peeks out of the hole.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Mix 200 g powdered sugar with 15 g cocoa powder, then gradually add 35 g water until it is as thick as honey, dip the top of each puff into it and wipe off the excess with your finger. A glaze of the right thickness coats evenly without dripping down the sides. The glaze is ready when it is smooth and glossy and has set on the surface after a few minutes.

    Mark step 11 as done

12. Step 12

    Beat 60 g softened unsalted butter with 60 g powdered sugar and 2 g vanilla extract until fluffy and white, set a small puff on the center of each large puff, then use a small star tip to pipe a ring of buttercream around the neck and a few vertical lines on the body. The buttercream acts as both glue and the pastry's signature decoration. Chill for about twenty minutes; the pastries are finished when the heads and bodies are firmly stuck together and stand up straight without tilting.

    Suggested time: about 20 minutes.

    Mark step 12 as done