administratorThese are indulgent, flavorful pastries filled with creamy custard and chunks of chocolate. The addition of orange juice and zest perfectly complements the other flavors. I discovered this recipe in Fou de Pâtisserie magazine. It requires a bit of precision, especially since all ingredients are measured in grams — even the egg yolks! But trust me, it’s worth the effort. You won’t find pastries like these in any bakery.
Note: The dough needs to be prepared a day in advance or at least several hours before baking.
Ingredients
For the yeast dough:
370 g all-purpose flour + extra for dusting
40 g sugar
9 g salt
15 g fresh yeast
20 g milk powder
240 g eggs (about 5 eggs)*
300 g soft butter
For the Crème Pâtissière:
100 g candied orange peel, finely chopped
20 g Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
240 g whole milk
50 g sugar
½ vanilla bean
10 g egg yolks
50 g whole eggs
20 g butter
35 g corn starch
For the orange glaze:
Juice of half an orange
130 g powdered sugar
10 g Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
For garnish:
100 g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 egg
Zest of 1 orange
Flour for dusting
Instructions
Yeast Dough:
In a mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, milk powder, and yeast (make sure the yeast does not come into direct contact with the salt). Begin kneading and gradually add the eggs.
Once combined, add the butter and knead thoroughly. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. The dough should slightly pull away from the sides of the bowl but remain soft.
Transfer to a floured bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, stretch and knead gently, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours.
Crème Pâtissière:
Place the candied orange peel in a small bowl and soak in the orange liqueur.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, and half the sugar. Stir in the corn starch.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, remaining sugar, and the split vanilla bean with its seeds. Bring to a boil. Remove the vanilla bean, then slowly whisk in the egg mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes until thickened to a custard-like consistency.
Remove from heat, stir in the butter and candied orange peel, and allow to cool.
Orange Glaze:
In a small saucepan, gently warm the orange juice (do not boil). Pour over the powdered sugar, add the liqueur, and mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembling the Rolls:
On a generously floured surface, roll out the dough into a 40 × 50 cm rectangle.
Spread the crème pâtissière evenly over the dough and sprinkle with chocolate chunks.
Roll the dough tightly along the longer edge, then transfer the log onto parchment paper and wrap tightly. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 30–50°C, then turn off.
Slice the chilled log into 2 cm rounds and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving about 3 cm between each roll. Let rise in the warm oven for 30 minutes.
Baking:
Beat the egg and brush it over the rolls.
Bake one tray at a time at 165°C for about 15 minutes until light golden brown.
Remove from the oven, brush with orange glaze, and sprinkle with orange zest. Let cool slightly — though they’re absolutely best served warm.
Tip: Beat the eggs and remove any excess if needed to reach the required weight.
These rolls are a bit of work, but the combination of custard, chocolate, and orange makes them absolutely irresistible!
