Profiteroles Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To make the profiteroles, put the butter and 2 tsp of the caster sugar in a saucepan with 150ml water. Place the pan over a low heat until the butter and sugar have melted, then bring to the boil. Take off the heat, add the flour all at once and beat energetically with a wooden spoon until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan.
• Leave to cool for 5 mins, then beat in the eggs bit by bit until you have a stiff, glossy mixture (this process is much easier in a food processor). Rinse two baking trays with cold water, shaking off any excess so they are slightly damp (this helps the pastry to rise). Using 2 teaspoons, spoon blobs of the mixture onto the baking trays. Then place in the oven and cook for about 18-20 mins until well risen and brown. Remove the profiteroles from the oven and cut a small slit in the base of each one so they don't collapse. Cool on a wire rack.
• When they're cold, whip the cream lightly until just holding its shape. Sweeten to taste with remaining sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract. Cut the profiteroles in half, fill them with the sweetened cream and pile them up on a plate. You can refrigerate them for 1-2 hrs at this point but not for any longer as the pastry will go soggy.
• To make the sauce, sift the cocoa powder into a bowl. Put the sugar in a pan with 100ml water and warm over a low heat until dissolved. Bring to the boil, cook for 1 min, then pour over the cocoa powder and stir well until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan, cook for 1 min then set aside for 15 mins before drizzling over the profiteroles.

Steps:

• Make the choux pastry: Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Combine the milk, water, butter and salt in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the liquid is shimmering and the butter is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and stir to form a dough. Cook, stirring, until the dough releases from the sides of the pan and the flour smells slightly nutty but doesn't brown, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl, add 1 egg and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until fully combined. Beat in the remaining 3 eggs, one at a time, to make a sticky, glossy dough.
• Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2- or 3/4-inch round tip. Pipe mounds of dough on the baking sheet, 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide and about 1 inch high, spacing them 1 inch apart; press down the pointy tops with a wet finger. Bake until deep golden and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let the pastry puffs cool completely on the pan.
• Make the chocolate sauce: Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour over the chocolate and cover the bowl; let sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
• Assemble the profiteroles: Cut the pastry puffs in half horizontally. Fill the bottoms with medium-size scoops of ice cream (about 3 tablespoons each). Cover with the tops and spoon the chocolate sauce all over. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Heat the milk, butter, and salt over medium heat until scalded. When the butter is melted, add the flour all at once and beat it with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the eggs and pulse until the eggs are incorporated into the dough and the mixture is thick.
• Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 1/2 inches wide and 1-inch high onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should have about 18 puffs. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.) Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit for another 10 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Make a small slit in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape. Set aside to cool.
• For the chocolate sauce, place the cream and chocolate chips in a bowl set over simmering water and stir just until the chocolate melts. Add the honey and coffee and stir until smooth. Set aside.
• For serving, cut each profiterole in half crosswise, fill with a small scoop of ice cream, replace the top, and drizzle with slightly warm chocolate sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the butter and salt until the butter has melted; remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the flour until no dry lumps remain; stir in the eggs, one at a time, adding the next egg only after the last one has been completely incorporated into the mixture. Drop the profiterole paste onto the prepared baking sheet in evenly spaced dollops.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the pastries have puffed up and turned golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
• Beat 1 cup of heavy cream to soft peaks; stir in the confectioners' sugar and rosewater until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the remaining cup of heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth.
• To assemble, poke a hole into the bottom of each pastry and fill with the rose water cream. Place the filled profiteroles onto individual serving plates and top with the warm sauce. Leftover profiteroles may be stored sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Steps:

• For the choux balls: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Put 1 1/2 cups/375 ml water, the butter, sugar and salt in a roomy saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once, beating until it forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Return the pan to the heat for a minute or two and beat to dry it out a little. (Removing moisture will allow the paste to absorb more egg, which will ultimately make the puffs lighter.)
• Remove the pan from the heat. Beat in the eggs, the equivalent of one at a time, until fully incorporated. (Do not try to add them at once because they can't be incorporated quickly enough, it makes a total mess, and furthermore you may not need all of them.) After the third addition of egg, add only enough to make dough that will fall, glossy and heavy, from the spoon. Beat in the vanilla. Spoon the dough into a piping bag.
• Mix a bit of milk into any remaining egg (if no egg left, use only milk). Have at the ready with a pastry brush for glazing. Pipe the dough into evenly-sized (about 1 inch/2.5 cm) balls on a nonstick baking sheet, leaving a good 2 inches/5 cm between them so they have room to expand. Brush the tops with the glaze and press the snouts down with a fingertip. Bake until puffed up, light, dry and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, so they can breathe all around and will keep their shape and not go soggy.
• For the chocolate sauce: Heat the cream in a saucepan just to the boiling point. Turn off the heat, and add the chocolate. Let sit a minute to melt, and stir until smooth, adding more cream to thin, if needed.
• For assembling: Slice 12 choux balls in half (reserve the remainder for another use). Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom half of each, then replace the tops. Arrange 3 on each serving plate, and drizzle over chocolate sauce to each person's liking.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan combine the water, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the flour all at once and stir it vigorously with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture has formed a ball and has a slightly sweaty sheen to it and it has pulled away from the pan. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and let cool for 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture does not have to be cold, just cool enough not to cook the eggs when added. Using an electric mixer or lots of good old-fashioned elbow grease, beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Do not add the second egg until the first is fully incorporated. Add in the cinnamon and beat for another second to combine.
• Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag equipped with a large straight tip and pipe 1-inch balls onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. When done dip your finger in water and smooth the top of each ball where the pastry bag released the dough. Be sure to leave at least 1-inch between each of the balls. They grow! Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through the cooking time to insure even cooking. When done, the puffs should be light, airy and dry inside. Cool on a rack.
• When ready to serve, cut in half horizontally and fill with ice cream of your choosing. (I prefer a really high-quality vanilla.) Top with warm Chocolate Sauce.
• Bring a saucepan with 1-inch of water to a boil. Put the chocolate in a metal or heatproof glass mixing bowl and place on top of the saucepan with boiling water. Pay careful attention that the mixing bowl does not touch the surface of the boiling water. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until the chocolate has melted and everything is combined. This is a pretty quick process, once the chocolate has melted remove it from the double boiler set up. Spoon over the filled profiteroles. This is best when served warm!

Steps:

• Warm the water and butter, until the butter melts. Then bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in flour.
• Return to heat and stir until the dough forms a ball.
• Place in a larger bowl to allow to cool.
• Beat the eggs in thoroughly.
• Heat oven to 400°F Grease baking tray and run under cold tap to leave a thin film of water. Place quarter sized drops of the dough onto baking tray.
• Bake for 20-25mins until risen, firm and golden. Place slits to allow profiteroles to vent.
• Fill with whipped cream and serve with your favorite chocolate sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip (optional).
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Place the water and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour mixture and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for several seconds, until the dough is smooth, pulls away from the sides of the pan, and begins to form a ball. Remove the pan from the heat. Cool the dough for a couple of minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until smooth and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Place the dough in the pastry bag. (Alternatively, you can use a spoon to form the puffs.) Grease 2 rimmed baking sheets or line with baking parchment. Pipe the desired shapes onto the baking sheets. The dough can be frozen at this point on the tray then collected into freezer bags and sealed.
• For small (1 1/2-inch) puffs, bake for 10 to 12 minutes. For a standard eclair shape, bake for 10 minutes then raise the heat to 425 degrees and continue baking for 15 minutes total, or until puffed up, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Sieve the flour and cocoa into a bowl. Put the butter in a saucepan and add 225ml water. Bring to a fast boil, then simmer until the butter has melted. Tip in the flour mixture and quickly beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together to a smooth, shiny dough, and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Tip the dough into a bowl and spread it up the sides with your spoon to help it to cool down quickly (but don't let it cool completely - it's easier to incorporate the eggs while it's still warm). Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
• While the dough is still warm, add the eggs a little at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon between each addition. You're looking for a smooth consistency, that reluctantly falls off the spoon in a V shape (you may not need to use all the egg). If the mixture becomes too runny, you won't be able to pipe it; if it's too thick, it won't puff up in the oven. When you're happy with the consistency, spoon it into a disposable piping bag.
• Snip off the end of the piping bag to give you a 1cm opening. Holding the bag at a 90-degree angle to the baking tray, pipe balls of the dough, about the size of a walnut, over the 2 sheets - you should make 18-20 in total. Dip your finger in a little water and gently pat down any peaks on the top of the balls of dough. Place the 2 sheets in the oven and bake for 25-30 mins, swapping the trays over after 20 mins. The choux buns should be puffed up and crisp when cooked. Leave to cool completely.
• Spoon the caramel into a large bowl, add 1/2 tsp salt, mix well and taste - add a little more salt if you like. Add the cream and whisk until holding soft peaks (the cream can now be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day).
• Split the choux buns in half, spoon a generous dollop of salted caramel cream into each and replace the lids. Melt the white and dark chocolates in 2 bowls suspended over pans of gently simmering water, or in the microwave. Transfer the dark chocolate to a piping bag and set aside to cool a little. Top each bun with a spoonful of white chocolate, stack the profiteroles on a plate or cake stand, then drizzle over the dark chocolate and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles or edible glitter, if you like. Serve straight away.