Religieuse au Café

Religieuse au Café ingredients

• 125 ml water
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 2 g salt
• 5 g granulated sugar
• 75 g all-purpose flour
• 2 count large eggs, beaten
• 250 ml whole milk
• 2 tsp espresso powder or strong instant coffee
• 3 count large egg yolks
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 20 g cornstarch
• 20 g unsalted butter, cold
• 150 g powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp strong brewed coffee or espresso
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• as needed whipped cream or piped buttercream

How to make Religieuse au Café

1. Prepare Choux Pastry: Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a saucepan, combine 125ml water, 50g unsalted butter, 2g salt, and 5g granulated sugar. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.
2. Make the panade: Remove the saucepan from heat and immediately add the 75g all-purpose flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth ball of dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
3. Dry the panade: Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes to dry out the dough slightly. This step is crucial for crisp choux.
4. Incorporate eggs: Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Gradually add the 2 beaten large eggs, a little at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and glossy. The dough should be thick enough to hold its shape but soft enough to pipe.
5. Pipe choux: Transfer the choux pastry to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (about 1.5 cm / 0.6 inch). Pipe 6 large rounds (about 5-6 cm / 2-2.5 inches diameter) and 6 small rounds (about 3-4 cm / 1.2-1.6 inches diameter) onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between them.
6. Bake choux: Bake the choux pastries for 20-25 minutes, or until puffed, golden brown, and crisp. Turn off the oven, prop the door open slightly, and let them dry in the cooling oven for 10-15 minutes to prevent them from deflating. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
7. Prepare Coffee Pastry Cream: Heat 250ml whole milk with 2 teaspoons espresso powder or instant coffee in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming, but not boiling. Whisk 3 egg yolks, 50g granulated sugar, and 20g cornstarch in a separate bowl until pale and smooth.
8. Temper and cook cream: Slowly pour about half of the hot coffee milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the cream thickens significantly and comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring vigorously.
9. Finish cream: Remove from heat, stir in 20g cold unsalted butter until melted and smooth. Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl, cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.
10. Assemble Religieuse: Once choux are cool and cream is chilled, poke a small hole in the bottom of each choux bun. Using a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, fill both the large and small choux buns generously with the chilled coffee pastry cream.
11. Prepare Coffee Glaze: In a bowl, whisk together 150g powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee, and 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter until smooth and a thick, pourable glaze forms.
12. Glaze and stack: Dip the top of each filled choux bun into the coffee glaze, letting excess drip off. Place a small glazed choux bun on top of each large glazed choux bun, gently pressing them together.
13. Decorate and serve: If desired, pipe a collar of whipped cream or coffee buttercream around the 'neck' where the two choux buns meet for traditional decoration. Serve immediately or chill briefly.

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