This Is The Only Guide You Need To Make The Perfect Profiteroles

Also called cream puffs, profiteroles are a French pastry that are light and airy and can be filled with a sweet or savory filling. Theyre often topped with a rich chocolate sauce and are an exciting dessert to eat. Making them is easier than you might think. So follow this detailed guide and you’re good to go.

Ingredients

• 100 gms unsalted butter
• 250 ml water
• 150 gms flour
• 4 large eggs
• Pinch of salt

Filling options:

• Vanilla custard
• Ice cream
• Whipped cream (Note 2)

Custard filling:

• 4 egg yolks
• 55 gms white sugar
• 40 gms cornflour / cornstarch
• 600 ml milk
• 55 gms extra white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract or essence)

Chocolate sauce:

• 250 gms dark chocolate
• 250 ml cream

Directions:

• First, make the custard filling. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together, and then add the cornflour. Then add the milk, vanilla and sugar in a pan set over medium heat. Make sure it shouldn't simmer. Once warm, whisk in the milk. Keep whisking. It will get thicker. The ideal consistency should be one where dollops can form. Thenn remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 6 hours so it can set. Then spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a fine nozzle so it can be piped into the profiteroles.
• In the meantime, in a pan over medium heat, add the butter and water. It will melt. Let it heat till it comes to a simmer.
• When it starts simmering, add the flour and salt and stir continuously. It should form into a dough ball and unstick from the sides of the pan.
• Then remove from heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C/420°F (200°C fan).
• Grease the baking trays with butter and then line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Add an egg into the cooled down dough and beat well until combined. Then add the remaining eggs one at a time, making sure each one is beaten before adding the next egg. The dough should look like a thick paste.
• Then transfer the dough to a piping bag which has been fitted with a round tip. And pipe out blobs onto the tray. Use a wet finger to pat down the peaks that might form in the piped blobs to create nice domes. 
• Bake the blobs in the oven for about 15 minutes. They should become crispy but not so much that they collapse.
• Then pierce the balls with a knife and put them back in the oven for about 5 minutes. They should be golden and crispy. Then transfer to a rack and set them aside until fully cooled.
• Now make the chocolate sauce. Place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and put it in the microwave for bursts of 30 seconds. Mix and then put it back in the microwave. Repeat until fully mixed. Set aside so it can cool. It’s a ganache so it will be runny when it's warm but once cooled, it should set a bit, much like a frosting.
• Once cooled, add the custard, cream filling or ice cream into the balls. Then drizzle with a chocolate sauce and serve warm.

Notes, tips and tricks:

• You can use the profiteroles as a base and top, filling in ice cream in between, creating a sandwich. Then drizzle chocolate sauce on top.
• Profiteroles are best served immediately, so they can be enjoyed warm and crispy. The shells tend to soften within a few hours so it's best not to make them ahead.
• Profiteroles without the filling and sauce topping will keep in the airtight container for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. When ready to use, let them thaw at room temperature and then reheat in the oven for 5 minutes.
• If there’s extra pastries left over, the fully assembled profiteroles stay good for up to 36 hours in the fridge.
• The batter used for profiteroles can also be used to make eclairs. Simply pipe with a broader nozzle into logs, add the cream filling to the base pastries and dip the top of the other pastries with the chocolate sauce.