Profiteroles
Profiteroles are made from choux pastry baked until puffed and crisp. They are filled with homemade pastry cream and topped with a drizzle of warm ganache.
Servings 30
Ingredients
For the Pastry Cream
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (37 g) cornstarch
- 3 cups (480 ml) whole milk
- 8 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or pure vanilla extract
For the Choux Pastry
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 4 large (200 g) eggs, at room temperature, slightly beaten
For the Chocolate Drizzle
- 4 ounces (125 g) semisweet chocolate, coarsley chopped
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Pastry Cream
- In a medium pot, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and egg yolks together until well combined.
- Slowly pour the milk mixture into the sugar mixture while whisking to remove any clumps.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until bubbles start to burst through the surface. Once boiling, continue to cook while whisking for a full minute. The pastry cream will become thick like pudding. It should register 200°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla paste until well combined.
- Press the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bits of egg that may have scrambled.
- Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using it.
Make the Choux Pastry
- Measure out all the ingredients and have them set out on your work surface. Use weight measurements for best results.
- Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium stainless steel pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the butter melts completely and the mixture comes to a full boil.
- Add all of the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until no traces of dry flour are visible.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, until the paste pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball. You will notice a skin has formed on the bottom of the pot.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool, stirring occasionally, until the paste feels slightly warm to the touch. If it's too hot it will cook the eggs and ruin the pastries.
- Add about ⅓ of the eggs and use the wooden spoon to vigorously mix until smooth and creamy. The dough will break but it will slowly become creamy. Once the dough is smooth and creamy, add another ⅓ of the eggs. Mix until the dough become smooth and creamy again then mix in the final ⅓ eggs. Stir until the mixture becomes smooth, stiff, and shiny. (You may not need all the eggs. Test the batter as you go. It should fall off the spoon in a v-shaped ribbon. Or drag your finger along the surface of the dough to create a trough. If the sides stay up, the dough has enough egg.)
- Let cool to room temperature before using.
- Meanwhile, Set the rack in the middle of the oven and heat at 400°F for 30 minutes before baking.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use a little of the dough in the corners to secure the parchment paper in place.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, drop mounds of dough 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. This technique yields uniform pastries.
- Bake for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until they are brown and completely hard on the outside. Do not open the oven during baking or they might collapse.
- Transfer the pastries to a wire rack and immediately poke a skewer all the way through to release the steam trapped inside. Allow pastries to cool completly.
Make the Chocolate Ganache
- Place cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is combined. Cool until slightly warm, then use for drizzling.
Assemble the Profiteroles
- Cut the profiteroles in half using a serrated knife, creating a base and a top hat.
- Fill the profiteroles generously with the pastry cream using a spoon or a piping bag.
- Drizzle with chocolate and serve!
Notes
- Filling: American-style profiteroles are filled with ice cream. Choose your favorite instead of using pastry cream.
- Chocolate ganache: The ganache will be very runny while warm. As it cools it will thicken to a soft chocolate consistency.
- Make ahead: Prepared choux pastry can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before using it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the surface of the dough to prevent a skin from forming.
- Baked and unfilled pastry shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or freeze them for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Filled pastry shells will keep for up to 2 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Read my detailed post about making Pâte à Choux (Choux Pastry).
- Read my detailed post about making Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere).