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The dessert, French classic

Saint-honoré

A saint-honoré is a classic French dessert made of a puff pastry base, small caramelized cream puffs, and a light chiboust cream, serving 6. It takes 1h30 of active work spread out, pastry and puffs the day before, cream the morning of, assembly right before guests arrive. It's rated medium difficulty at €2.70 per person, and the key is letting the puffs dry properly and dipping them in caramel quickly.

The king of French party desserts, with its caramelized cream puffs and a chiboust cream as light as a cloud.

Saint-honoré
For
6 people
Work
1 h 30
Total time
4 h 30
Prep
Prepared the day before
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.70
Calories per person
560 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

A saint-honoré plays with contrasts, the crispness of the puff pastry base, the softness of the cream puffs, the thin crack of caramel, and the airy lightness of chiboust cream that melts on the tongue. It takes some technique, but each component is simple on its own if you follow the steps in order.

This is a dessert for big occasions, birthdays, holiday dinners, family gatherings, or a dinner party you want to dress up. It pairs well with a lighter menu beforehand so guests have room left, and it always makes an impression set in the middle of the table before it's cut in front of everyone.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before 3 steps, 1 h 05
  2. The same day 1 step, 20 min
  3. Before the guests arrive 1 step, 15 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step

The day before, bake the puff pastry base and the choux puffs, both keep well in an airtight container. The morning of, make the chiboust cream and fill the puffs. Right before guests arrive, make the caramel, assemble the ring of puffs on the base, then pipe cream into the center and keep chilled until serving.

The ingredients

6 people

Dairy

  • Puff pastry, all butter 1
  • Milk for the choux pastry 12.5 cl
  • Butter 100 g
  • Eggs 4
  • Milk for the cream 50 cl
  • Egg yolks 5
  • Egg whites 4

Pantry

  • Wateroften in the pantry 12.5 cl
  • Flouroften in the pantry 140 g
  • Sugar for the creamoften in the pantry 120 g
  • Cornstarchoften in the pantry 40 g
  • Vanilla beans 2
  • Gelatin sheets 4
  • Sugar for the carameloften in the pantry 250 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The recipe, moment by moment

The day beforeWhat's better after resting overnight in the fridge.

  1. Prick the puff pastry all over, cut it into a 24 centimeter disk, and bake it between two baking sheets at 190°C until golden. 30 min

    Prick it all over well, it will stay flat and crisp.

  2. Heat the water, milk, butter, and salt, tip in the flour all at once, dry out the dough, work in the eggs one by one, pipe small two centimeter balls, and bake at 180°C without opening the oven. 35 min

    Let them dry with the oven door cracked open for ten minutes, then store them in a container, they'll stay crisp.

  3. Make a vanilla pastry cream with the milk, egg yolks, 80 g of sugar, and the cornstarch, add the softened gelatin, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and let cool.

    Don't skip this, gelatin only dissolves in a cream that's still warm.

The same dayDuring the day, whenever you get a moment.

  1. Whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar, gently fold them into the lukewarm pastry cream to get a chiboust cream, then fill the puffs using a piping bag. 20 min

    Lift the mixture from the bottom up with a flexible spatula, the cream needs to stay airy.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Make a light caramel with the sugar and a little water, dip the top of each puff, and stick them in a ring on the pastry base with a little caramel. 15 min

    Dip the bottom of the pan in cold water for a few seconds to stop the caramel from cooking further.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Pipe the chiboust cream into the center and keep chilled until serving.

    Use a Saint-Honoré piping tip, or cut the corner of the bag at an angle for a crest shape.

Our tips to get it right

  • Weigh the flour and dump it into the boiling liquid all at once, that thermal shock is what makes the choux pastry puff up properly in the oven.
  • Never fill the puffs with chiboust cream more than a few hours ahead, it softens the pastry and you lose the crispness.
  • Work with small batches of caramel if you're not fast, it sets within a minute off the heat and becomes unusable.

The variations

  • Swap the vanilla for instant coffee dissolved into the pastry cream for a coffee saint-honoré, a stronger finish to a meal.
  • For an easier kids' version, fill the puffs with plain pastry cream instead of whipping it into chiboust, faster and just as loved.
  • In summer, tuck fresh raspberries between the puffs around the edge, the tartness balances the sweetness of the caramel nicely.

What to serve it with

  • A strong coffee after dinner
  • Fresh raspberries on the side
  • A light tea to finish
  • Pâte feuilletée pur beurre

Storage

An assembled saint-honoré keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours, but it's best eaten the same day since the pastry base softens over time. Plain baked puffs, unfilled, freeze well for up to a month. Never freeze the whipped chiboust cream.

Questions about this recipe

Why do my cream puffs collapse after baking?

This usually happens when the oven is opened too soon or the puffs haven't dried long enough. Always leave them an extra ten minutes with the oven door cracked open before taking them out.

Can you replace the gelatin in the chiboust cream?

Yes, you can use agar agar, but you'll need to bring the cream to a boil for a few seconds to activate it, unlike gelatin, which simply dissolves in warm cream.

How do you get a clean caramel disk on the puffs?

Dip each puff flat, tip down, into the hot caramel, then immediately set it upside down on parchment paper so it hardens into a neat shape.

Can this dessert be made for more than 6 people?

Yes, just make the puff pastry base bigger and prepare more puffs, keeping the same proportions of pastry cream and caramel for the extra amount.

Can a saint-honoré be made ahead?

Yes, it's even recommended. The recipe needs 1 h 30 of work in total, split up like this, the day before, 3 steps, the same day, 1 step, before the guests arrive, 1 step, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a saint-honoré?

Allow 4 h 30 in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 1 h 30 is actual work. The recipe is rated "medium".

How many calories are in a saint-honoré?

About 560 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a saint-honoré cost?

About €2.70 per person, that's €16.20 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

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