Delicate, creamy and crisp craquelin passionfruit cream puffs, sprinkled with gold fairy dust, are inspired by the enchanting and passionate Tinker Bell of JM Barrie’s Peter Pan.
Neverland Inspired Recipe Series
Embark on a culinary journey to Neverland with our enchanting recipe series inspired by Peter Pan! Indulge in a feast fit for grown-ups or a whimsical Disney themed dinner party, as we bring to life the delectable descriptions from JM Barrie’s book and the magical imagery from the beloved Disney movie. Join us for a taste of adventure and nostalgia in every bite.
Tinker Bell’s Passion
In the heart of Neverland, where magic and wonder abound, Tinker Bell’s mischievous spirit inspires a culinary creation as delightful and vibrant as her glowing fairy dust. Drawing inspiration from her luminous aura and volatile personality, we present Tinker Bell’s Passionfruit Cream Puffs adorned with a whimsical green craquelin. JM Barrie describes Tinker Bell as a fairy tinker who mends pots and pans with an incomprehensible language that sounds like the lovely tinkle of golden bells. A loyal friend to Peter Pan, Tinker Bell is also vindictive, spiteful and jealous of Wendy.
Tink was not all bad: or, rather, she was all bad just now, but, on the other hand, sometimes she was all good. Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time. They are, however, allowed to change, only it must be a compete change.
- Peter Pan by JM Barrie
In honour of Tinker Bell’s passionate nature, these delightful passionfruit cream puffs are to make you feel the flutter of fairy wings and the magic of Tinker Bell’s whimsical charm. Enjoy this enchanting treat, and let it transport you to the wondrous realm of Neverland, where dreams take flight and adventures never end.
Ingredient Notes
Passionfruit: The pastry cream filling with flavoured with tropical passionfruit purée. You can find it frozen at specialty grocery stores or you can make your own from fresh passionfruit. To make fresh purée, scoop the passionfruit pulp into a mesh strainer. Work the pulp through the strainer and discard the solids.
Gold luster dust: Used primarily in cake and candy decorating, luster dust is a very fine, shimmery edible powder making it the perfect substitute for fairy dust! It can be found at well stocked baking supply stores.
Green gel food colouring: I used a dab of Wilton’s Kelly green gel food colouring to mimic Tinker Bell’s iconic green look from the 1953 Disney version of Peter Pan.
How to Make Passionfruit Cream Puffs
Make the passionfruit pastry cream
Add the milk to a saucepan and place over medium heat. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Add half of the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until combined. Whisk in the remaining sugar. Add half of the cornstarch to the egg yolk mixture, whisking until combined. Whisk in the remaining cornstarch along with the salt. The mixture should be thick and pale yellow.
When the milk comes to a simmer, remove from the heat. Add a splash of the hot milk to the egg yolks and whisk together completely. Continue adding the milk to the egg yolks a little bit at a time, whisking to incorporate each time. This method will ensure that the egg yolks don’t scramble when added to the hot milk. When you have added at least half of the hot milk then pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Whisk together and then place over medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking continuously. The pastry cream is done when it begins to bubble and is very thick. Remove from the heat and add the passionfruit purée, butter, and salt. Whisk together until smooth. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl. Place a piece of cling film directly on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until cold.
Make the cream puff dough
In a small saucepan, combine the water, butter, and salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. When the butter has melted and the water is boiling, add the flour all at once. Vigorously stir the flour into the boiling liquid with a wooden spoon until it forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the side of the pan. Remove from the heat and transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Use a paddle attachment to begin beating the eggs into the dough. Add one egg at a time, beating until fully incorporated before adding the next one. Scrape down the sides of the mixer as needed.
Make the craquelin topping
In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and brown sugar. Use a spatula to cream the butter and sugar together. Add a dab of green food colouring to the butter mixture. Add the flour and work into a smooth dough.
Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out into a thin disc. Place the craquelin on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes until hardened.
Bake the cream puffs
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use small dabs of the cream puff dough to keep the parchment in place on the baking sheet. Fit a large pastry bag with a large round piping tip. Fill the pastry bag with the cream puff dough.
Pipe 2 inch mounds of dough onto one baking sheet, leaving space between them for the puffs to expand. Use a wet finger to tap down any peaks of the dough.
Take the craquelin out of the freezer. Use a 2 inch ring cutter to cut out thin rounds of the craquelin. Place a disc of craquelin on top of each mound. Place the remaining craquelin back into the freezer. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the puffs are beginning to brown and dry out. If the puffs feel soft and begin to deflate, then bake for a few minutes more until they are firm.
Repeat with the remaining cream puff dough and craquelin. The craquelin dough scraps can be thawed and rerolled if needed. Allow the puffs to cool before filling.
Fill the cream puffs
In a mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks. Use a whisk to beat the chilled passionfruit pastry cream until it is smooth. Add a little whipped cream and beat until smooth. Fold in the remaining whipped cream with a spatula. The passionfruit cream should be soft but still pipable.
Fit a large pastry bag with a large star piping tip. Fill the pastry bag with the passionfruit cream. Use a small knife to poke a hole in the bottom of each cream puff. Use the piping bag to fill the cream puffs.
Serve Tinker Bell’s Passionfruit Cream Puffs
Arrange the filled cream puffs on a serving platter. Pipe a swirl of pastry cream on top of each cream puff. Sprinkle the puffs with a pinch of gold luster fairy dust and enjoy!
