Fluffy choux nests filled with silky pistachio cream, topped with a white chocolate egg and a dusting of powdered sugar 😍 Perfect for your Easter table! 💚🐣
InstaRecipe
Ingredients
For the bignè (choux) nests (makes about 8 nests of about 6cm diameter):
- 125 g all-purpose flour (or Italian “00” flour)
- 125 g water
- 80 g unsalted butter
- 3 medium eggs
- 2 g salt
For the pistachio cream:
- 250 ml milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 25 g sugar
- 15 g cornstarch (or all-purpose flour/00 flour)
- 50 g pistachio cream
For decoration:
- Powdered sugar
- Chocolate eggs (I used white chocolate eggs filled with pistachio cream)
Prepare the Choux Pastry
In a small saucepan, add the water, butter (cut into pieces), and salt. Place over medium heat, stir, and wait until the butter melts completely.
Once the mixture starts to boil and bubbles form on the surface, add the flour all at once. Stir immediately using a wooden spoon. Remove the saucepan from the heat and continue stirring for a few seconds to help the dough absorb all the flour. It will quickly form a compact, elastic dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Return the pan to medium heat and continue stirring for another 30–60 seconds, until you hear a slight scraping sound from the bottom. This step helps dry out the dough slightly. Transfer the dough to a work surface or mixing bowl and let it cool slightly, working it with a spatula to bring down the temperature.
Pipe and Bake the Nests
Transfer the choux dough into a piping bag fitted with a star tip (I used a 10 mm one). On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pipe the nests. Each should be about 6 cm in diameter. Pipe two rings per nest: the second ring should go slightly inward, creating a nest shape without fully closing the center.
Bake in a static oven at 200°C (390°F) for the first 10 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 180°C (355°F) and continue baking for 25–30 minutes. If condensation forms in the oven during the last 5 minutes, insert a wooden spoon in the door to keep it slightly open and allow the steam to escape.
When done, turn off the oven and leave the nests inside with the door slightly ajar for about 10 minutes to cool gradually and dry out completely.
Prepare the pistachio pastry cream
While the nests are baking, prepare the pistachio pastry cream following the method I shared here.
Filling the nests and decorate
Once the nests are fully cooled, cut each one in half horizontally. Fill the bottom half with pistachio pastry cream using a piping bag. Close with the top half and pipe a swirl of pistachio cream on top.
Place a chocolate egg in the center of each nest and finish with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Enjoy!
Aroma di cannella 