Profiteroles are a pastry consisting of choux dough filled with cream, custard, or ice cream. They are typically served as a dessert and can be topped with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, whipped cream, or other toppings.
Brief History and Origin
The origin of profiteroles is believed to have been in France during the 16th century. During this time, the French developed their recipe for choux pastry. The first recorded mention of profiteroles was in 1604 when they were mentioned in a cookbook by François Pierre La Varenne titled Le Cuisinier françois (The French Cook). In this book, La Varenne described how to make what he called “petits pâtés de pâte à choux” (little pastries made with choux pastry).
Profiteroles – The Recipe
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 30 mins
- Total time: 50 mins
- Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 50g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp. caster sugar
- 2 lightly beaten eggs
- 75g all-purpose flour
- 300ml heavy cream
- Few drops of vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
For the sauce
- 50g cocoa powder
175g confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and preheat it to 200 degrees C. Pour 150ml water into a saucepan over low heat. Add 2 tsp. caster sugar and butter, cook until butter melts and sugar dissolves and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Quickly remove from heat, add flour and salt and whisk vigorously using a wooden spoon until the dough comes in the center of the pan, leaving the sides.
- Set the pan aside for 5 minutes until cool. Then add eggs, one at a time, and keep whisking until the dough becomes shiny and stiff.
- Rinse 2 baking sheets with cold water and spoon blobs of the dough using 2 teaspoons. Place the sheets in the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until brown and risen.
- Then remove from oven, make a small slit in the base of each profiterole, and place on the wire rack until cooled completely.
- Meanwhile, whip the cream until stiff enough to hold the shape. Add vanilla and the remaining caster sugar. Fold gently until everything combines well.
- Cut and fill the profiteroles with the sweetened cream and arrange them on a platter. Place in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours but not longer.
For the sauce
- Pour 100ml water into a saucepan over low heat, add sugar and cook until sugar dissolves completely. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add cocoa powder and stir until consistent.
- Place the saucepan back on the stove and cook for another 1 minute, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- When ready to serve, take the profiteroles out of the oven and serve with sauce drizzle on the top.
Popular variations
Here are a few ways you can change this basic recipe to adjust it to your liking:
- Chocolate Profiteroles: Inspired by Christmas chocolate pudding, these Profiteroles have the deep dark richness of the chocolate. From pastry to the filling, these will become your guilty pleasure.
- Strawberry Ice Cream Profiteroles with Green Tea Sauce: The classic pastry with a spin of condensed milk and caramel flavor combined with strawberry and green tea is unique and delicious.
- Peanut Butter and Jam Chocolate Ice Cream Profiteroles are exploding with peanut butter, chocolate ice cream, caramel, and jam flavors. They might sound hard to make with all the elements, but they are divine.
- Green-Tea Profiteroles: The green tea ice cream inside the puffy fluffy, golden Profiteroles with Black sesame Craquelin or cracker on top and silky ginger flavored Crème Anglaise. It is salty, caramel-ly, and sweet.
- White chocolate and pistachio Profiteroles: White chocolate and pistachio are a classic flavor combination. It is also water-mouthing in the fluffy, buttery profiteroles.
