How to make the craquelin: Cut the cold butter into small cubes and mix it with the flour and sugar using the paddle attachment.

Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a very thin layer, then freeze for 4 minutes.

After 4 minutes, remove the top sheet of parchment and cut out lots of small circles with cookie cutters.

And again cover with parchment paper and put in the freezer until use.

How to make the choux pastry: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine water, milk, salt, sugar, and butter. Heat over medium flame until the butter melts, then increase the heat and bring to a vigorous boil Remove from heat and pour the hot mixture over the sifted flour. Stir vigorously with a spatula.

Once there’s no dry flour left, return the pan to medium heat and “dry” the dough for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly. A velvety film should form on the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the hot dough to the mixer bowl and knead with the paddle attachment until it cools to 40–50 °C.

Add the cold eggs gradually. First weigh the exact amount of eggs and blend them with a hand blender. After incorporating all the eggs, mix the dough very thoroughly.

The finished dough should slowly and lazily fall from the spatula in a smooth ribbon, forming a triangle at the tip of the spatula. It should not drop in broken chunks.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 5–6 hours (or overnight).

Transfer the chilled dough to a piping bag.

.Pipe Choux (standard diameter 3–4 cm).

Cover each Choux with a craquelin circle.

Bake in an electric oven on top + bottom heat (no fan).

We bake on a Teflon/silicone mat. Oven temperature:180–190 °C. Do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes! Preheat the oven thoroughly for 60 minutes before baking.

Baking time for Choux ranges from 30 to 50 minutes. Bake until a deep caramel-golden color. The finished pastries should be firm (not squishy when pressed with a finger).

How to make the cream base: Bring the milk to a light boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. You’ll know it’s ready when you see the first bubbles appearing around the edges of the pan or when steam starts to rise. Remove the pan from the heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and corn starch until you get a smooth, lump-free paste.

Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture in a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

Place it on medium heat and stir continuously and vigorously with a whisk, paying special attention to the bottom and corners of the pan so the starch doesn’t stick.

As soon as the mixture starts to thicken and you see the first confident bubbles (“puffs”), continue cooking for another 30–60 seconds while whisking non-stop.

Remove from heat, add the vanilla extract, and stir well.

Immediately pour the hot cream into a clean, wide bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface (“contact wrap”) to prevent a skin from forming.

Let it cool to room temperature. When the base has cooled to room temperature, divide it by weight into two equal parts.

How to make Pistachio & Condensed Milk Cream: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with a mixer on high speed for 3–4 minutes until it becomes pale and fluffy.

Still beating, gradually add the condensed milk and pistachio paste (also room temperature) in a thin stream or spoonful by spoonful. Beat until light and homogeneous.

Stir the cooled custard cream base well with a whisk to loosen its structure and make it smooth.

Add the custard cream to the butter mixture one tablespoon at a time: add → beat thoroughly → add next spoon → beat again. Never add all the cream at once!

How to make Luxurious Biscoff Cream: Beat the soft butter until fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Add the Biscoff paste and beat for another minute until smooth.

Add the room-temperature custard cream base one spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition.

Finish with a small pinch of fine salt.

To fill the choux, I cut a small hole with a knife and fill it with cream until I feel that the choux has become heavy.