The hazelnut choux pastry crown with Nutella cream is a showy and indulgent dessert, perfect to prepare when you want to bring something special to the table using simple ingredients.
The base is a fragrant choux pastry enriched with hazelnut flour that in the oven becomes golden and slightly crisp on the outside while remaining soft and light inside. This dough, typical of French pastry, is the same used for cream puffs and other beloved choux pastries.
This preparation is reminiscent of the famous French dessert Paris-Brest, a choux crown traditionally filled with hazelnut cream. In this version I chose an even more indulgent filling using the Nutella pastry cream, an easy and velvety cream that is prepared in a few minutes and is perfect for filling cream puffs, cakes and choux pastries.
The result is an elegant yet simple dessert, perfect for a decadent snack, a Sunday dessert or to surprise guests with something truly irresistible.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 40 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 1 crown, about 7 1/16 in diameter
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Father's Day
Ingredients for the hazelnut choux pastry crown with Nutella cream:
- 125 ml water (about 1/2 cup)
- 50 g butter (about 3 1/2 tbsp, ~1.8 oz)
- 70 g type 00 flour (about 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp, ~2.5 oz)
- 20 g hazelnut flour (about 2 tbsp, ~0.7 oz)
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 350 g Nutella pastry cream (about 12 oz / 1 1/2 cups)
- as needed powdered sugar
- as needed whole hazelnuts and chopped hazelnut pieces
Tools for the hazelnut choux pastry crown with Nutella cream:
- 2 Saucepans
- 1 Bowl glass
- 1 Piping bag
- 1 Non-stick baking sheet
Steps for the hazelnut choux pastry crown with Nutella cream:
To prepare the hazelnut choux pastry crown with Nutella cream, start by making the Nutella pastry cream following the recipe on the blog. Once ready, transfer it to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and let it cool completely in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, prepare the choux pastry.
Put the water, butter and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and bring to the heat until the butter is completely melted.
When the liquid begins to boil, add the type 00 flour and the hazelnut flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a spoon until you obtain a compact dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag and form on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper a crown about 7 1/16 in in diameter, making three ropes of dough: two rings side by side at the base and a third rope on top.Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 160°C (320°F) and continue baking for another 20 minutes approximately. In the final minutes you can leave the oven door slightly ajar to allow the choux pastry to dry out well.
Once baked, let the crown cool completely.
Then cut the crown horizontally in half and fill it with the Nutella pastry cream prepared earlier (reserve a few tablespoons for the final decoration). Close with the top layer, dust with powdered sugar then pipe dollops of pastry cream and decorate with whole hazelnuts.
Tips:
Choux pastry is a very versatile dough: with the same base you can also make cream puffs, zeppole or small choux desserts to be filled with different creams.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I make the choux pastry in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the choux pastry crown the day before and keep it covered at room temperature.
Can I use a different cream?
Certainly. This crown is also excellent with classic pastry cream or Chantilly cream.
How should the choux pastry crown be stored?
Once filled it is best to store it in the refrigerator and consume within 24 hours.
Can I make other desserts with choux pastry?
Yes, choux pastry is a very versatile dough. With the same base you can make cream puffs, zeppole or small choux desserts to fill with pastry cream, Chantilly cream or chocolate cream.
Why does choux pastry deflate after baking?
Choux pastry can deflate if it is not baked long enough or if the oven is opened too early during baking. It is important to bake it until it is well browned and dry. In the final minutes of baking you can leave the oven door slightly ajar to let the moisture escape and allow the choux pastry to dry better.
This small precaution helps keep the structure of the choux pastry perfect even after cooling.
