Miffy Shaped Choux au Craquelin

Instructions:

• Pastry Cream (prepare beforehand):
• In a saucepan, combine milk and vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and cover immediately.
• In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar until slightly pale. Add cornstarch and mix well.
• Temper the egg mixture by slowly pouring a third of the hot milk into it, whisking continuously.
• Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.
• Remove from heat, allow to cool for 10 minutes and incorporate the butter while stirring. Cover with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for at least 2 hours or until ready to use. The custard can be made up to 2 days in advance.
• Craquelin (prepare beforehand):
• Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer), combine all craquelin ingredients until a dough forms.
• Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1-2mm thickness. Freeze for at least an hour or until ready to use.
• Choux Pastry:
• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a saucepan, combine water, butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Remove from heat and quickly stir in all-purpose flour until fully incorporated.
• Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 60 seconds.
• Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes to cool slightly.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy.
• Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe miffy-shaped choux onto the prepared baking sheet. *You can place a bunny template under the parchment paper while piping to help shape the choux, I added my template at the end of the recipe*
• Remove the craquelin from the freezer, and peel off the top piece of parchment. Using a circular cookie cutter, cut out circles of craquelin dough. Then, with a knife, carefully cut strips for the ears of the Miffy shapes.
• Place each craquelin circle and ear strips carefully on top of a mound of choux, pressing lightly to adhere. If you are baking one tray of these at a time, ensure that you only put the craquelin on one tray at a time, because the craquelin needs to be cold to maintain its shape during baking.
• Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Avoid opening the oven during baking.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven, carefully poke holes in the sides of each pastry by inserting the tip of a small knife about halfway into the pastry and return to the oven for 3 more minutes. Remove and let cool completely on the baking sheet.
• Assembly:
• In a bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
• Whisk the prepared pastry cream to smooth out the texture, then fold in the whipped cream.
• Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
• Carefully poke a hole in the bottom of each pastry and pipe in the cream filling until filled.
  It may take a few tries to perfect the technique – just remember to wipe off any excess filling that may spill out from overfilled pastries.
• Use melted chocolate in a piping bag to delicately decorate each pastry with adorable Miffy faces.
• Serve and enjoy your adorable Miffy Shaped Choux au Craquelin!