Hojicha powder was gifted to me by Hojicha Co. All opinions and images are my own.
These Hojicha Cream Puffs are filled with vanilla and hojicha whipped cream, and dusted with powdered sugar. They are full of nutty, toasty, and earthy flavors with sweet and creamy undertone.
I love drinking tea and I love incorporating tea in baking. If you’ve been following my baking journey for a while now, you know my love for matcha, Thai tea, and chai tea. So when Hojicha.Co offered me their hojicha powder to try, I couldn’t say no! I was excited to finally have the chance to use hojicha in baking.
Roasty and toasty, the mellow flavors of hojicha are compared by some to coffee. It can be nutty, earthy, and creamy. The versatile flavors are used in many sweet recipes, such as roll cakes and ice cream. Here I will show you how to make choux au craqelin with vanilla and hojicha whipped cream filling.
WHAT IS HOJICHA?
Hojicha is a Japanese green tea that originated from Kyoto in the 1920s. It is a Japanese green tea that has been roasted in a special pot over charcoal at a very high temperature. Not only does the roasting process change the leaf color from green to crimson-brown, it also creates an intense, nutty aroma. If green tea or matcha is too bitter for you, then hojicha may be your cup of tea (see what I did there?). In addition, the roasting process has a decaffeinating effect on the tea leaves, making hojicha an attractive alternative to coffee lovers who crave a warm and relaxing drink without bouncing off the walls.
It is hard to find authentic roasted green tea in the US. It is especially rare to find a company like Hojicha Co. that specializes small-batch, high quality and unprocessed roasted tea leaves straight from Kyoto. Their hojicha tastes very similar to what I had in Japan!
TIPS ON MAKING CHOUX AU CRAQUELIN:
- MEASUREMENTS: Notice that the ingredients for craquelin and choux pastry are in grams, because this recipe requires precise measurements. I tried using American cup measurements, but the results were always inconsistent. You can try to do your own conversions, but just know that it’s not always guaranteed. Or you can invest in a scale (mine was from Amazon)!
- SUGAR: I used white granulated sugar for the craquelin top in this recipe. Feel free to sub with brown sugar for a darker color.
- MILK vs WATER: This is a personal preference. Water makes a lighter and crisper puff, while milk makes a darker brown, softer puff. I used water in this recipe, since hojicha powder already has a brown caramel color. If you choose to use milk, make sure to use whole milk.
- TEMPERATURES: Always use room temperature eggs. Ingredients must be combined in the right temperatures. After adding flour into the water mixture, you will know the mixture is hot enough if you see a shiny thin film on the bottom of the pan. Make sure you cool the dough for about 2-3 minutes before adding eggs. Dough should be warm to touch. If the dough is too hot, it will cook the eggs while mixing. If it is too cool, then it will not fully absorb the eggs.
- MOISTURE: You need just the right amount of moisture evaporating in the dough to help create that beautiful hollow puff and crackly top. To add a little moisture for the rising process, dip your finger into water and smooth out the peaks of choux mounds. Then sprinkle some water onto the baking sheet right before baking.
- EGGS: Adding too much eggs can also create too much moisture in your batter. Always add one egg at a time, mix thoroughly, and check your batter before adding another egg. Your final batter should be like thick sticky paste, forming a ‘V’ shape when you hold up your paddle attachment or spatula. If it is runny and does not hold its shape, then you added too much eggs. If the batter sticks to the spatula and does not form a ‘V’ shape, then you need more eggs.
- OVEN: Cream puff needs heat and steam in order to rise. Baking at higher temperature (400F) initially will force rapid steam expansion, causing the choux pastry to expand and dome. Once the puffing is complete, lower temperature (350F) will continue to brown and dry the top, giving a crispy outer layer.
- COOLING: Again, heat and steam are crucial to the rising process. Opening the oven door will cause a drop in temperature and can have the opposite effect on your pastry. DO NOT open the oven door while baking. After baking, leaving the puffs in the oven with the door propped open will allow a slow decrease in temperature, preventing the risk of collapsing. Let completely cool before filling.
MORE TEA BAKING RECIPES:
- Choux au Craquelin with Thai Tea Diplomat Cream
- Honey Chai Shortbread Tea Bag Cookies
- Matcha Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Matcha White Chocolate Swiss Roll
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Make sure you also tag me @onehappybite on Instagram and hashtag it #onehappybite so I can see your creations!
Print
Hojicha Cream Puffs (Choux au Craqelin)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 22 mins
- Total Time: 52 mins
- Yield: 15 cream puffs 1x
Description
These Hojicha Cream Puffs are filled with vanilla and hojicha whipped cream, and dusted with powdered sugar. They are full of nutty, toasty, and earthy flavors with sweet and creamy undertone.
Ingredients
Craquelin
- 80 g unsalted butter, softened
- 90 g granulated sugar
- 90 g all purpose flour
- 3 tsp hojicha powder
Choux Pastry
- 100 ml water
- 50 g unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp salt
- 75 g all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten, room temperature
Vanilla Whipped Cream Filling
- 1 cup (240g) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp (20g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Hojicha Whipped Cream Filling
- 1 cup (240g) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp (20g) granulated sugar
- 4 tsp hojicha powder
Instructions
Craquelin
- In a large mixing bowl, mix butter (softened) and sugar together using a spatula or a mixer with paddle attachment. Add flour and hojicha powder, mix until well combined.
- Form the dough into a ball and transfer onto a sheet of parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper on top. Roll the dough to about 2 mm thickness.
- Freeze the flattened dough for an hour or until ready to use.
Choux Pastry
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add butter, water, and salt into a small pot. Place over medium heat and bring it to a boil. When the butter melts completely and little bubbles start to appear, reduce the heat to low. Add sifted flour and immediately start mixing using a spatula.
- Continue to cook on low heat for another minute or so, while constantly mixing the flour. The dough should be thick and smooth. As soon as you see a thin glossy film on the bottom of the pan, turn the heat off.
- Transfer the dough to a clean mixing bowl. Let cool for about 2-3 minutes. If the dough is too hot, it will cook the eggs. The dough should be warm to touch.
- Beat the eggs in a small mixing bowl. Slowly add 1/3 of the beaten eggs into the batter and mix well using a spatula. Add another 1/3 and mix. The dough should be sticky, like a thick paste. When you lift the spatula up, it should form and hold a “V” shape. Egg size varies. Add the last 1/3 of eggs if needed for the “V” shape consistency.
- Transfer the choux pastry to a piping bag fitted with round tip. Pipe 13-15 choux mounds onto the prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper. The size of choux mounds depends on your circles/round cutter. You want to match the size with the craquelin tops.
- Smooth the choux peaks with a wet fingertip.
- Remove craquelin from the freezer. Stamp out craquelin with a round cookie cutter. Gently place each round craquelin on top of a choux pastry mound. Sprinkle some water onto the baking sheet.
Baking
- Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes. You should see the choux pastry rise and puff up.
- Turn down the heat to 350°F and bake for another 10 minutes. This extra baking time gives the craquelin top a beautiful crisp and dark brown color.
- Once done, do not take the cream puffs out of the oven right away. Turn the oven off and use a wooden spoon to slightly prop the oven door open. Let cool in the oven for 15 minutes before taking them out.
Vanilla Whipping Cream Filling
- In a mixing bowl using a handheld or stand mixer, whip heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peak forms. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with round tip.
Hojicha Whipped Cream Filling
- In a separte mixing bowl, whip heavy cream, sugar, and hojicha powder until combined and stiff peak forms. Transfer to another piping bag fitted with round tip.
Assembly
- Using a chopstick or a small round piping tip, poke a hole in the bottom of each cream puff. Insert the end of the piping tip into the cream puff, and pipe the vanilla whipping cream first, until half way filled. Then insert the end of the piping tip of hojicha cream filling, and pipe until until you feel the cream puff becomes heavy and you start seeing some spilling out. Wipe off the excess. Dust it with powdered sugar (optional)
Notes
Cream puffs are best serve immediately.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day.
Craquelin can be made in advance and store in the freezer for a few days.
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French, Japanese
Keywords: choux au craquelin, cream puff, green tea, hojicha
looks so delicious and cute!!!would love trying to make them!
★★★★★
Thank you Sasha! Can’t wait for you to try them 🙂