In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and brown sugar. Mix until smooth.
Add flour and salt and mix until fully incorporated and smooth. I like to gather the mixture together with a bowl scraper (see note).
Place the mixture between two sheets of parchment (see note) and roll to approximately ⅛" thick. Place the butter mixture (still in the parchment) on a baking sheet and freeze 5 minutes.
Once chilled, use a 2" round cutter (see note) to cut 24 rounds out of the craquelin. You can gather the scraps and re-roll them if necessary. Place the rounds in the freezer until you need them.
For Cream Puffs (Choux Pastry):
Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheets with parchment (see note) and set aside.
Combine water, milk, sugar, salt, and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once boiling, and while still on the heat, add the flour. Quickly beat mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth and shiny. Mixture will pull away from the sides of the pan. (Do not underbeat or cream puffs may deflate later!)
Once mixture is thoroughly combined, scrape it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Turn the mixer on low speed. With mixer running, add eggs one a time, allowing each egg to incorporate and mixture to become smooth before adding the next.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag and cut a hole in the end (about ⅓" across). Pipe mounds of choux pastry at least 2" apart, each about 2" across and ¾" tall (see notes). With those dimensions, you get about 24 cream puffs.
Remove the craquelin from the freezer and place one round on top of each cream puff gently, without pressing down the dough. The craquelin should be positioned parallel to the pan.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and turn the oven off. Bake 10 minutes with the oven off. Turn oven back on to 350° F and bake another 10 minutes. Then, turn the oven off again, leaving the cream puffs to finish baking for another 10 minutes (This is 30 minutes in the oven total). Resist the urge to open the oven until baking is complete, as this could deflate your cream puffs!
Once the cream puffs are baked, remove from the oven and poke a hole in the top of each with a toothpick. This will allow any residual steam to escape (otherwise, your cream puffs could deflate…sensing a trend here?). Allow cream puffs to cool completely.
For Pecan Filling:
Combine butter, honey, brown sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and mixture starts to boil. Let boil for one minute, then remove from the heat.
Add vanilla bean paste (see note) and chopped pecans, and stir to combine. Allow to cool so it thickens a bit. Do NOT refrigerate, as it will make the mixture too thick and sticky to go in the cream puffs!
For Whipped Cream:
Place cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste (see note) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start the mixer on low speed, and gradually increase the speed to high. Whip until the cream thickens and forms peaks.
With the mixer running on low, gradually drizzle in the bourbon. Mix until combined.
Assembly:
Split the cooled the cream puffs with a thin, serrated knife. (I find that a bread knife works well for this.) Try to do so gently so as not to break all the craquelin.
Spoon the pecan filling into the bottom of each cream puff. Dollop or pipe the whipped cream on top of each, then replace the cream puff top. Garnish with additional whipped cream and a whole pecan, if desired. The cream puffs are best enjoyed same-day while the craquelin is still crisp. It's also best to assemble the cream puffs as close to when you plan to serve them as possible.Enjoy!
Notes
Note on 2" cutter: I use a round, 2" biscuit cutter, like from this set here.Notes on piping choux pastry: Choux mounds should be at least 2″ apart on the baking sheet. If they’re too close together, the steam that escapes while baking could cause them to deflate.I give a suggested dimension for the mounds (2″ across by ¾″ tall). This will give you a yield of 24 cream puffs, and the diameter of the cream puffs will match that of the craquelin. That said, it’s more important that they’re all uniform in size rather than meeting these specific dimensions. Just be aware that bigger choux mounds will take more time to bake, and smaller ones will be done sooner. When piping the choux, I found that if you hold the bag straight up and stay in the center as you squeeze the piping bag, you end up with a more uniform (round) shape.Note on parchment: I use pre-cut, nonstick parchment sheets to roll out the craquelin and to line my pans. If you’d like to get some for yourself, you can find them here.Note on toasting pecans: To toast the pecans, spread out on a baking sheet and toast in a single layer, checking/stirring often, at 350 F for 5-10 minutes.Note on vanilla bean paste: I really love the punch of vanilla flavor from vanilla bean paste, so I added it to both the pecan filling and the whipped cream. If you’re interested in getting some for yourself, you can find it here. If you prefer to substitute, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.