Profiteroles are a type of French pastry that are made from choux pastry dough, which is piped into small balls and baked until they are crisp and hollow inside. The pastry balls are then filled with whipped cream or pastry cream and typically served with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Although these are easy to make, there is definitely a science and a technique involved, so don’t be disheartened if you have to experiment with these a bit. While most people use regular all purpose flour, I liked the results I got with cake and pastry flour. I also tried bread flour but wasn’t happy with the results.

I’ve always been a big fan of the eclair and this is one step in that direction. My cousin makes these Profiteroles at the drop of a hat, so I knew I had to try it for myself.

Crème pâtissière, also known as pastry cream, is a rich and creamy custard that is used as a filling for a variety of desserts, such as éclairs, cream puffs, and fruit tarts. It is made from a combination of milk, sugar, eggs, cornstarch, and vanilla. This is literally one of the easiest things to make. You can use this to fill your profiterole, but if you want a lighter filling, you can fold in some whipped cream.

This recipe is a classic version, but I can’t wait to make variations to share with you all.

Profiteroles

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Ingredients
  

Crème pâtissière

  • 1 whole Egg
  • 3 Egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla essence
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1 cup Cream
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 3 tbsps Corn starch
  • Optional 1 tbsp Lime zest
  • Optional 2 – 3 tbsps Butter

Choux Pastry

  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1/2 cup Butter
  • 1 cup presifted Cake & Pastry Flour
  • 4 Eggs

Chocolate top

  • 1/2 cup grated Chocolate
  • 1/4 cup heavy Cream

Instructions
 

Crème pâtissière

  • Beat the eggs together with the sugar and the vanilla
  • Heat the milk & cream till bubbles just start to form and slowly trickle into the egg mixture while whisking
  • Add the salt and cornstarch and return to the pot and heat on a low flame till the custard thickens, whisking continuously
  • Add the lime zest and butter, optional
  • Chill in Tupperware overnight, and add cling film on the surface to prevent a skin from forming

Choux Pastry

  • Heat the water and add the sugar, salt and butter
  • Add in the flour and mix vigourously
  • Once the dough come together, stir and cook for another minute
  • Remove and allow to cool down
  • Beat the eggs and slowly whisk into the warm dough
  • Transfer the batter into a piping bag with a 1/2 inch round tip
  • Pipe onto a sheet and lift upwards
  • Wet your fingers and smooth out the tops
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees and bake for 25 – 30 mins
  • If getting too brown, flip the tray around
  • When the Choux is golden brown, remove and pierce a few times with a bamboo skewer to release the steam
  • Remove and allow to cool down

Profiteroles

  • Pierce the back of each profiteroles with a sharp knife
  • Fill a pastry bag with the pastry cream fitted with a no 12 tip
  • Insert the tip into the profiterole and gently press to fill
  • Pour hot cream over the chocolate
  • Dip the tops of the filled profiteroles into the melted chocolate and allow them to harden