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Religieuse
Double choux bun
Religieuse au chocolat: French two-tier choux bun with chocolate cream and icing
FrenchThe religieuse, "nun", is a Parisian pâtisserie classic invented in the 1850s, so called because the two stacked choux buns, glazed in brown icing with a little ruff of buttercream, look like a nun in her habit. It is still a treat bought at weekend bakeries in Paris for a special goûter. The common mistake is underbaking the choux, which collapse when filled. Chef's tip: once baked, prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon and leave the choux inside for 10 minutes to dry out.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 quantity pâte à chouxabout 450 g, from 4 eggs
- 16 oz crème pâtissièrechilled
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ oz dark chocolatemelted
For the glaze and collar
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ oz soft butter
- 1 ¾ oz icing sugar
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). On lined trays pipe the 1 quantity pâte à choux into 8 buns about 5 cm across and 8 about 2.5 cm across.
15 minStep 2: Bake for 25 minutes for the small and 30–35 for the large, until deep golden and dry; do not open the oven early. Dry with the door ajar for 10 minutes, then pierce a hole in the base of each and cool.
35 minStep 3: Whisk the 16 oz crème pâtissière with the 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 ¾ oz dark chocolate until smooth and pipe it into all the buns.
5 minStep 4: Warm the 7 oz fondant icing (or icing sugar) with the 1 tbsp cocoa powder and a few drops of water to a thick coating consistency (or mix icing sugar with water and cocoa). Dip the top of each bun and leave to set a few minutes.
10 minStep 5: Set each small bun on a large one. Beat the 1 ¾ oz soft butter and 1 ¾ oz icing sugar and pipe little ruffles round the join and a dot on top. Chill and eat within a day.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does religieuse take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of cocoa powder?
- Drinking chocolate, same amount (sweeter, so cut the sugar).
- What can I use instead of cocoa powder?
- Drinking chocolate, same amount (sweeter, so cut the sugar).
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