These petit choux buns, also known as chouquettes are filled with lemon curd. Garnished with a candied lemon peel and lemon glaze, these little delicacies are a delicious bite-sized treat for a special occasion.
I couldn't be more excited that today marks our annual baking competition at work! I love brainstorming ideas and testing out new recipes. This year, I decided to think a little outside of the box with my dessert entry. And would you know it; these little beauties took home first place. If you're looking for an award-winning dessert for your next get-together, give these chouquettes with lemon curd a try!
Why you'll love this recipe
So let's talk about this lemon-inspired dessert. I decided to make miniature choux buns (also known as chouquettes) and fill them with a mixture of lemon curd and whipped cream. I garnished them with lemon glaze and candied lemon.
Choux pastry is made using a light pastry dough called pâte à choux. I really like this dough because it's simple, and you can fill it up with anything your heart desires.
Key ingredients and why we use them
Lemon Curd: I love lemon because it's so light and refreshing. You can make your own lemon curd at home or purchase it in the grocery store. Lemon curd is typically found next to the jams and jellies.
Eggs: This recipe calls for four eggs, which really makes them the star of this dough. The high moisture content of the dough (thanks to eggs) creates steam which helps them rise with no leavening agents.
Candied Lemon Peel: Candied lemon peel is a great way to use up leftover lemon rind. It's the perfect accompaniment to these chouquettes and even tastes good with a cup of coffee!
Frequently asked questions
Chouquettes are miniature choux buns made from a French pastry called pâte à choux. This light pastry dough is then filled with lemon curd, chocolate, etc. for a delicious treat.
While choux pastry originates from France, it is now used all over the world and you will most surely see these desserts in your average bakery!
This dough is quite simple and contains only butter, water, flour, and eggs. There is no leavening agent, and instead, the high moisture content creates steam during the baking process to puff the pastry.
Check out more pastry recipes
Check out some more reader-favorite pastry recipes below! Navigate to our recipe page to check out all My Sweet Precision recipes!
Recipe
Chouquettes with Lemon Curd
Equipment
- pastry bag
- parchment paper
- 19 x 13-inch half-sheet baking pan
- cooling rack
Ingredients
Choux Pastry
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
Egg Wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk
Lemon Curd Filling
- 1 cup lemon curd
- ½ cup whipped cream
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- candied lemon peels optional
Instructions
- Combine the milk, water, butter, salt, and sugar in a pan and set over low heat. Bring to a boil and immediately take the pan off the heat. Shower in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until completely smooth.
- Return the pan to medium heat and stir continuously for about 1 minute to dry out the paste, and then tip it into a bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating with the wooden spoon. Once the eggs are all incorporated, the paste should be smooth and shiny with a thick ribbon consistency. It is now ready to use.
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. For small choux buns, put the paste into a pastry bag fitted with a ½ inch tip. Pipe small mounds in staggered rows onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or directly onto a greased baking sheet. Brush the choux with egg-wash and lightly mark the tops with the back of a fork. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the outside of the buns is dry and crisp but the inside is still soft. Cool on a wire rack.
- While buns are cooling, mix lemon curd and whipped cream. Use a pastry bag to fill the buns with 1-2 tablespoons of filling. Mix ingredients for the lemon glaze and lightly brush the glaze on the choux buns. Garnish with lemon peel if desired.
Notes and Tips
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?! First, let me say THANK YOU for giving it a try!
Please leave us a rating and feedback in the comments section at the bottom of this post. I always love to hear your thoughts and ideas on what went well — and didn't — with a recipe!
Happy Baking!
Heather
Antonia
I adore cream puffs, and they look delicious! I love the idea of using lemon. How did you do in the competition? I am sorry I missed your post! Have a wonderful weekend and Happy December my friend :D
Mary
I love that you decided to freshen up fall with some lemon! Sometimes I feel as though pumpkin gets a little overplayed. I also think that lemon would pair nicely with the cranberries at Thanksgiving dinner! This looks like it will make a nice addition to a Thanksgiving dessert spread.
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you Mary! I definitely agree that pumpkin gets a little overplayed around the holidays. I never thought of the lemon + cranberry combination but you're right, that would be perfect for a dessert spread! Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday!
Sherri
Ahh..the great Michel Roux! He appears here on TV in the UK on Masterchef, he's great! These delightful little buns (easier to type, ha!) sound divine. Lemon is my favourite! Did you win the competition? You should! Oh Heather, what a wonderful time away for you and Matt (we were practically neighbours for a short while!), but I'm sorry for your colds. I've had one recently too, they're not fun. I hope you're both well and ready for tomorrow, and I wish you a very Happy and Healthy and Delicious Thanksgiving my friend! :-) <3
Heather @ Sweet Precision
I didn't realize that he was such a celebrity?! My dad gave me his cookbook a couple of Christmases ago and I've had great success with the recipes that he uses! I did indeed win the baking competition Sherri! We have quite a few talented bakers at my work so I was pretty excited :) We actually considered adding a trip to London to our travels but we just didn't have enough time. Something to save for next time I suppose! I hope that you had a lovely weekend Sherri. I know you are working on your memoir and I hope that the creative juices are flowing and that you're able to snag some time to do some writing!
Sherri
How wonderful to have one of his cookbooks Heather...what a great gift! I am not surprised you've had so many successes with his recipes. From what I've seen on TV, they are amazing! And I just had a feeling you would have won, congratulations my friend! Oh I wish you could have come to London. If you ever do...oh how wonderful to meet you! Ahh...thank you so much, I am getting on well, or I was until I entered this very busy time of year! I'm trying to squeeze out a couple more blog posts before signing off for Christmas, so my memoir writing won't be as productive, but I feel I'm back in the flow and actually, taking short breaks inbetween helps with the 'simmering' process. You are so kind to ask how things are going. I hope you're having a good week so far too...no doubt with plenty of lovely Christmassy baking ideas soon to share! :-) <3
Just Add Attitude
Hello Heather - I am pleased that you and Matt had a lovely time in France and Belgium. It's years since I made of choux pastry - I really must give it another try. Happy Thanksgiving to you both and good luck in the competition. ;)
Heather @ Sweet Precision
It had been quite a while since I'd tried it as well, I'd forgotten how easy it I can be to pull together. Hope that all is well with you B!
chef mimi
I've never use pate a choux for anything but savory things like gouge red. This is brilliant!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Yes! I do love the savory route, especially for an appetizer or something to bring to a party. Gougères are so delicious! Who can argue with the mixture of cheese and savory choux?!
chef mimi
Hahahaha - indeed!