Description
Classic French profiteroles featuring light, crispy choux pastry shells filled with creamy vanilla custard, rich ice cream, or whipped cream, topped with a luscious dark chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
Scale
Choux Pastry
- 100g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup plain / all purpose flour
- 4 large eggs (55 – 60g each, room temperature)
- Pinch of salt
Vanilla Custard (Creme Patissiere)
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup white sugar (caster / superfine)
- 3 1/2 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 2 1/3 cups full-fat milk
- 1/4 cup extra white sugar (caster / superfine)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract or essence)
Filling and Toppings
- Ice cream (for filling)
- Whipped cream (for filling)
- 250g / 8 oz dark chocolate (or US semi-sweet)
- 1 cup cream (for chocolate sauce)
Instructions
- Simmer butter & water: Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When mostly melted, add water then bring to a rapid simmer.
- Add flour: While liquid is simmering, add flour and pinch of salt, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon on the stove until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the pan sides, about 1 minute.
- Cool dough: Remove from heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes to avoid cooking the eggs prematurely.
- Preheat oven: Set oven to 220°C/420°F (200°C fan).
- Prepare trays: Lightly grease 2 large or 3 standard baking trays with butter and line them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Add eggs to dough: Add one egg at a time into the cooled dough, beating well after each addition until the dough reaches a thick paste consistency.
- Pipe the choux blobs: Transfer dough into a piping bag fitted with a 13–15mm round tip. Pipe 2-tsp blobs spaced 5cm (2 inches) apart on the trays, about 16 blobs per tray, totaling 40–50 pieces.
- Pat down peaks: Wet your finger with water and gently pat down any pointed peaks on the piped blobs to form smooth domes.
- Bake first stage: Bake two trays at a time for 15 minutes, switching their positions halfway through for even cooking.
- Reduce oven temperature: Remove trays, reduce heat to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). The shells should be crispy and hold their shape when pierced; if not, bake for an additional 3 minutes.
- Final baking: Pierce each puff with a knife to let steam escape, then return to oven for 5–7 more minutes until golden and crisp.
- Cool before filling: Transfer profiteroles to a rack and allow to cool completely before adding fillings.
- Prepare custard: Meanwhile, make the vanilla custard (creme patissiere) by whisking egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour; warming milk with extra sugar and vanilla; then combining and cooking until thickened, then chilling.
- Make chocolate sauce: Heat cream and pour over chopped dark chocolate, stirring until smooth and glossy for drizzling.
- Fill and serve: Fill profiteroles with custard, ice cream, or whipped cream; drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
- Note 1: Ice cream should be scooped briefly into the profiteroles for a cool, creamy filling perfect for warm weather.
- Note 2: Whipped cream is a lighter alternative filling to custard and ice cream.
- Note 3: Use room temperature eggs for easy incorporation into the dough and better rise during baking.
- Note 4: Cooling the dough before adding eggs prevents the eggs from cooking when mixed.
- Note 5: Leftover egg whites from the custard can be reserved for making meringues or other recipes.
