Cream puffs or profiteroles are made of choux pastry, "pâte à choux" in French. They can be filled with custard, whipped cream, ice cream, or pastry cream and can be topped with chocolate ganache, caramel, or powdered sugar. While often served at important occasions, these profiteroles are easy and manageable to make for anytime of the year.
Ingredients:
Dough:
1 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Custard Filling:
2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons butter
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
5 large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
Chocolate Ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together. In a saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla to a simmer. Once it’s simmering, pour over the egg mixture while constantly stirring vigorously. Pour back into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer and stir constantly until thick. Once thick, add in the butter and mix to combine.
2. Pour in a shallow dish and cover with plastic wrap to avoid the formation of a skin. Allow to cool for one hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. In a large pot, combine the water, butter, salt, and sugar. When the butter is melted and the mixture begins to simmer, turn off the heat and add the flour. Mix until all the water has been absorbed. Return the pot to heat for another 30 seconds to remove any excess liquid.
5. Remove from heat and add the eggs one at a time. Incorporate each egg fully before adding the next.
6. Fill a piping bag with a rounded tip with the batter.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, unlike the picture above. If you do not use parchment paper, the bottoms of the profiteroles will burn.
8. Pipe 1 inch round mounds and space evenly on the parchment paper.
9. Wet your fingertip and gently press down any points on the tops of the profiteroles. Optional: you can at this point add an egg wash for an extra shine.
10. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 13-15 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and place profiteroles on a cooling rack. With a bottom of a skewer or a chopstick, poke a hole in the bottom of the profiterole to allow the steam to escape.
12. When they have cooled completely, fill a piping bag with the custard and pipe the filling into each profiterole.
13. To make the ganache, bring the heavy cream and pour over the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Let stand for one minute. Mix until smooth. Dip the tops of the filled profiteroles into the ganache and allow to cool and harden on a cooling rack.
14. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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