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Profiteroles (Cream Puffs)

Posted by Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking on December 6, 2011
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Profiteroles (Cream Puffs): Delicate choux pastry shells, generously filled with luscious whipped cream and topped off with smooth chocolate ganache. These treats are the perfect balance of light and creamy, offering a delightful bite of pure bliss.

Profiteroles Cream Puffs Recipe

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Profiteroles (Cream Puffs) Recipe

This is the first time I’ve ever made profiteroles, (aka. cream puffs) and for a first timer I have to say that these were surprisingly easy to make, despite choux pastry apparently being hard to make? *shrug*

Maybe this recipe is just a good recipe? Maybe my food mixer is just good? lol. Maybe I was just lucky? 😆

Although, the only problem I did have was the piping of the whipped cream inside the profiteroles. Such a novice, I had to try and play around with the different filling tips I had to get best results but all in all, these profiteroles were definitely fun, easy to make, and certainly rewarding to eat after!

Nom nom nom!

Profiteroles (Cream Puffs) Ingredients

Choux Pastry
  • Butter: Provides flavour and richness to the pastry while contributing to its texture.
  • Flour: Forms the structure of the choux pastry when combined with liquid ingredients.
  • Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to the pastry and aids in browning during baking.
  • Eggs: Contribute moisture, structure, and help the pastry rise during baking.
Filling:
  • Cream: Used to create a rich and creamy filling for the chocolate profiteroles (cream puffs).
  • Sugar: Sweetens the cream filling and helps stabilise it.
Chocolate Ganache:
  • Chocolate: Provides a luscious chocolate flavour and texture to the ganache.
  • Cream: Combines with the chocolate to create a smooth and glossy ganache.
  • Golden or Corn Syrup: Enhances the texture and shine of the ganache, and also adds a touch of sweetness.

A full list of ingredients and their quantities can be found in the printable recipe below.

How to Make Profiteroles or Cream Puffs

  1. Preheat: Preheat the oven, then line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Make Choux Pastry: In a saucepan, melt butter with cold water. Boil, then quickly add flour and sugar. Beat briskly until a smooth ball forms.
  3. Add Eggs: Gradually add beaten eggs until you have a smooth shiny paste. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe onto the parchment paper.
  4. Bake: Bake for 10 minutes, then increase to temperature, and bake for another 15 minutes until lightly golden and firm.
  5. Cool: Pierce each profiterole underneath to release steam, then cool on a wire rack.
  6. Prepare Chocolate Ganache: Melt chocolate with cream and syrup until smooth.
  7. Make Filling: Whip cream with icing (powdered) sugar until stiff peaks.
  8. Assemble: When profiteroles or cream puffs have cooled, pipe whipped cream into each and drizzle with chocolate.

A full list of more detailed instructions can be found in the printable recipe below.

Profiteroles Cream Puffs Recipe

Tips and Tricks for Making Profiteroles or Cream Puffs

  • Consistency of Choux Pastry: Achieving the right consistency of choux pastry is crucial. The mixture should form a smooth ball that leaves the sides of the saucepan clean. Add beaten eggs gradually to avoid making the mixture too runny.
  • Piping Technique: Use a piping bag with a plain nozzle to create evenly sized profiteroles or cream puffs. Pipe the pastry onto a greased and lined baking tray, leaving enough space for spreading during baking.
  • Steam Escape: After baking, pierce each profiterole underneath with a skewer to let steam escape. This prevents the shells from becoming soggy and helps maintain a crisp texture.
  • Choux Buns Browning: Adjust baking times as needed to achieve a light golden brown colour. Keep an eye on them during the last 15 minutes of baking to avoid overcooking.
  • Melting Chocolate: When making the chocolate ganache, melt the chocolate completely before adding the double cream and golden syrup. Stir gently over simmering water until the mixture is smooth and velvety.

Cream Puffs Profiteroles Recipe

These cream puffs didn’t last long at all. 😆

The fella, the giant man-baby, ate quite a few and commented that they were nice and tasted as good (if not better) than shop bought profiteroles. I should hope so, they’re made with love!

I have to agree that I thought these profiteroles were better… way better! I certainly wasn’t expecting them to taste nice at all for my first attempt at making profiteroles (cream puffs), but way hey! Always a Brucey bonus. 🙂

Yield: 18 profiteroles (cream puffs) or 6 servings

Profiteroles (Cream Puffs) Recipe

Profiteroles Cream Puffs Recipe

Profiteroles (Cream Puffs): Delicate choux pastry shells, generously filled with luscious whipped cream, and topped off with silky smooth chocolate ganache.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Choux Pastry

  • 50g (3 tbsp + 2 tsp) unsalted butter, diced
  • 60g (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 1 tsp caster (superfine) or granulated sugar
  • 2 medium eggs, beaten

Filling

  • 300ml (1 ¼ cups) double (heavy) cream
  • 1 tbsp icing (powdered) sugar, sifted

Chocolate Ganache

  • 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate
  • 75 ml (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) double (heavy) cream
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup or corn syrup

Instructions

  1. To make the choux pastry; preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F gas mark 6. Place the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add 150ml (½ cup + 2 tbsp) cold water and simmer over low heat until the butter has melted. Bring to a boil, then quickly add the flour and sugar. Remove from the heat and beat briskly with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that leaves the sides of the saucepan clean.
  2. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then gradually add the egg, beating until you have a smooth, shiny paste (I put my mixture into my mixer, attached a K-beater and added all of the eggs at once then turned on high until sufficient smooth, shiny paste as mentioned above). Lightly grease a sheet of baking paper and place it on a baking tray. Spoon the paste into a piping bag with a plain nozzle and pipe into 18 walnut-sized balls, leaving space between them for spreading.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to fan 200°C/400°F, gas mark 7 and bake for a further 15 minutes, until the choux buns are light golden brown and firm to the touch (here, I adjusted cooking times as mine were cooked with 5 minutes remaining on the clock, so best to keep an eye on them during the last 15 minutes of cooking). Quickly pierce each one underneath with a skewer to let steam escape, then leave to cool on a wire rack (I left mine on the baking tray on the baking paper covered after and they were absolutely fine and not at all greasy underneath).
  4. To make the chocolate ganache; place a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and melt the chocolate with the double cream and golden syrup until smooth (I melted the chocolate completely first before adding the double cream and golden syrup).
  5. To make the filling, whip the cream with the icing sugar to stiff peaks. When the profiteroles have cooled to room temperature, pipe the cream into the centre of each profiterole or cream puff, then dip or spread the tops with chocolate sauce.
  6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the cream to set, and the chocolate ganache to firm up. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days after assembling.

Notes

Can you freeze profiteroles or cream puffs?

Cream-based fillings, like whipped cream, do not freeze well and can lose their texture and taste when thawed. As a result, it’s not recommended to freeze profiteroles that are filled with cream.

To ensure the best taste and texture, it’s best to enjoy the filled and assembled profiteroles within 1 to 2 days after assembling. If you have leftover profiteroles, consider sharing them with friends or family or scaling down the recipe to make a smaller batch.

Choux pastry shells can be frozen separately, thawed, and then filled with fresh cream just before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

3 profiteroles
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 539Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 51mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 3gSugar: 23gProtein: 6g

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© Sweet 2 Eat Baking
Category: Desserts & Puddings

What do you call these locally? Profiteroles or Cream Puffs?

More Chocolate Recipes:

all-purpose flourcaster sugarchocolatechocolate profiterolesconfectioners' sugarcorn syrupcream puffsdouble creameggsgolden syrupgranulated sugarheavy creamicing sugarpastryplain flourpowdered sugarrecipesuperfine sugarunsalted butter
Posted by Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking on December 6, 2011
3 Comments // Leave Some Love

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3 Comments on “Profiteroles (Cream Puffs)”

  1. Sarah — December 12, 2011 @9:52 am Reply

    Nom nom nom!! Any freezing instructions with this recipe?? I'm so tempted as an extra treat for Xmas!

  2. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — December 12, 2011 @5:17 pm Reply

    Didn't say anything about freezing but I can't see why not. After all, you can buy frozen profiteroles so I'd imagine that you just leave them in the fridge for a short while after to let moisture escape then freeze. The chocolate sauce for this recipe goes quite hard so I imagine the only issue there may be with freezing is moisture making them soggy upon defrosting.

    Might be worthwhile making a batch for the family now and putting a few in the freezer to test? In fact, I might even do the same myself for Xmas with some other treats I make in the meantime so there's plenty of grub on the table and we can stuff ourselves silly until projective vomiting occurs! :D

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