Profiteroles
Deliciously crisp choux buns with a creamy filling and shiny chocolate glaze.
Servings: 48 profiteroles
Ingredients
For the Choux Buns
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter 113g (cubed)
- ½ cup Milk 120ml
- ½ cup Water 120ml
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp All-purpose Flour* 130g (sifted)
- 5-6 Large Eggs
- 1 batch Filling of choice (see notes)
For Chocolate Glaze
- 6 oz Semisweet Chocolate chopped finely
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tablespoon Butter 14g
- 1 tablespoon Corn Syrup
- 1 pinch Salt
Cups - Grams
Instructions
Make the Filling
- If you plan to fill your profiteroles with a filling that needs time to chill (like pastry cream), make the filling first so it will be ready when your profiteroles are baked and cooled.There are lots of options for what to fill your profiteroles with, some classic fillings are:Pastry Cream (vanilla custard)Creme Diplomat (custard folded with whipped cream)Chantilly Cream (sweetened whipped cream)See the post above for more filling ideas.
Make the Choux Pastry
- Add all the ingredients except the flour and eggs to a saucepan over medium heat. Mix together until the butter has melted and the mixture starts to boil.
- As soon as the mixture is boiling, remove it from the heat and quickly add all of the flour in, all at the same time. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the flour is totally incorporated.
- Return the pan to the heat and continue to beat it with the wooden spoon for 3-5 minutes until it holds together and you can see a thin film on the bottom of the pan. If you are not confident that it is cooked enough, you can check the temperature - it needs to get to between 165-175°F (74-79°C)
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and use your spoon to spread it up the sides of the bowl to help it cool faster. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes until it is no longer hot to touch.
- Turn the stand mixer on low-speed with a paddle attachment fitted. Add the eggs one at a time, letting them mix until completely incorporated in between each egg until you have one egg remaining. The amount of egg needed varies according to multiple factors, so you may not need all of the eggs to reach the right consistency.
- Crack the last egg into a bowl and beat it with a fork to break it apart. Add it to the mixer a little at a time, testing the pastry in between to see if is ready. You are aiming for a paste-like dough that is smooth, glossy, and pipeable. You can test if it is ready by putting a spatula into the bowl and lifting it out - if the dough is the right consistency it will fall off of the spatula in a V-shape. Once the right consistency is reached, do not add any more egg.
Pipe the Profiteroles
- Transfer the choux pastry to a piping bag with a round tip, or cut the end to make a ½-inch opening. Pipe a tiny amount of pastry into the four corners of a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. This holds the paper in place as you pipe.
- Holding the piping bag at a 90° angle to the pan, squeeze the pastry out into little 1-2-inch mounds, well spaced apart. Try to get them all the same size. If you are not confident in your piping you can trace circles onto the parchment paper and flip it over as a guide.
- For the best shape, squeeze in a steady motion and keep the tip of the bag just slightly under the surface of the pastry to create a smooth edge. Once the mound is the right size, stop squeezing and flick your wrist to break the flow of the pastry.
- Dip your finger in a little cold water and gently dab down the little peaks on top of the mounds to flatten them. Let the piped profiteroles sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes while you preheat your oven to 425°F / 220°C (200° fan-assisted).
Bake the Profiteroles
- Put the piped profiteroles into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375°F / 190°C (170° fan-assisted). Bake for 25-35 minutes until they are golden brown all over. The larger you piped them the longer they will need to bake. Do not open the oven door at all for at least 20 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven and turn the oven off. Use a metal, pointy object (like a piping tip, straw, or thermometer) to make a hole in the bottom of each profiterole to let steam escape. Place them back on the sheet, hole-side-up.
- Return them to the oven (with the oven off) and prop the oven door open to allow them to dry out for 15 minutes.*Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before filling.
Fill and Glaze
- It's best to fill and glaze profiteroles all in one go, so make the glaze first by heating cream in a small saucepan (or in the microwave) until it is scalding hot. Then pour it over the chopped chocolate and add butter, salt, and corn syrup. Stir until smooth.
- Take your filling out of the fridge and mix it until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with a round piping tip.
- Pick up a profiterole and push the piping tip into the hole you made earlier in the bottom to release steam. Gently squeeze the filling inside until the profiterole feels full and heavy.
- Dip the top of the filled profiterole into the warm chocolate glaze and shake off any excess. Place it back on the baking sheet to set and repeat with all the profiteroles.