Description
Classic homemade French profiteroles filled with smooth pastry cream and topped with a rich chocolate ganache glaze. These light and airy cream puffs are perfect for an elegant dessert or special occasion, featuring crisp choux pastry shells, creamy vanilla custard filling, and silky chocolate topping.
Ingredients
Choux Pastry
- 60 g Unsalted butter (82% European style butter, room temperature, in chunks)
- 60 g Water
- 60 g Whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar
- 70 g Bread flour (high protein, approx. 13%)
- 110 g Egg (approximately 2 eggs, at room temperature, may vary)
Pastry Cream Filling
- 240 g Whole milk (3% fat)
- 50 g Granulated sugar
- 40 g Egg yolk (approximately yolk of 2 eggs)
- 12 g Corn starch
- 12 g All purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 28 g Unsalted butter (82% fat, at room temperature)
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- 170 g Semi sweet chocolate (high quality like Callebaut or Lindt)
- 77 g Heavy cream (36% fat)
- 15 g Unsalted butter (82% fat, at room temperature)
Instructions
- Prepare Choux Pastry Dough: Sift the bread flour and set aside. In a saucepan, combine butter, water, milk, salt, and sugar. Heat over medium until simmering but not boiling. Remove from heat, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously until smooth dough forms without lumps. Return to heat and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until a thin skin forms on the pan bottom and some liquid evaporates.
- Cool and Incorporate Eggs: Transfer dough to a stand mixer bowl, mix on low with paddle attachment for about a minute to cool slightly. Gradually add lightly whisked eggs a little at a time, mixing fully before adding more, until dough is glossy and pipeable, falling from paddle in a V shape without being runny.
- Chill Dough: Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 0.5-inch French star tip. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up for best results.
- Pipe and Freeze: Pipe 16 even-sized profiteroles onto a perforated baking mat or parchment-lined sheet by holding the bag vertically with even pressure. Smooth tips with a wet finger. Lightly dust with powdered sugar to prevent cracking. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
- Bake Profiteroles: Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F) no fan. Place frozen tray in oven, reduce temperature to 170°C (338°F), and bake for 30 minutes without opening oven for first 20 minutes. Check one for golden color, puffiness, and firmness. Cool on tray at room temperature before filling.
- Make Pastry Cream: Whisk sugar and egg yolks until fluffy. Add cornstarch, flour, and vanilla, mixing smooth. Heat milk to simmer and gradually temper yolks while whisking. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium, stirring until thick and boiling about 1 minute. Strain if needed and remove from heat. Add softened butter, stirring until incorporated. Cool completely covered with plastic wrap on surface.
- Prepare Chocolate Ganache: Semi-melt chocolate in microwave. Heat cream to simmer and pour over chocolate, stirring until smooth. Mix in butter. Cool glaze to about 30°C (86°F) until smooth consistency for dipping.
- Fill Profiteroles: Make small hole at bottom of each puff. Fill pastry cream into a piping bag with small round tip and pipe into profiteroles fully.
- Glaze and Set: Dip tops of filled profiteroles into chocolate glaze evenly. Tap off excess and smooth edges if needed. Refrigerate for 2-3 minutes to set glaze and create a glossy finish.
- Serve and Store: Enjoy profiteroles immediately for best crispiness. Store leftovers in refrigerator up to 1 day.
Notes
- The egg quantity for choux pastry may vary depending on flour type and moisture loss; add gradually until dough is pipeable but not runny.
- Do not open the oven during the first 20 minutes of baking to prevent collapsing.
- Freezing the piped dough before baking helps achieve better puff and structure.
- Use high-quality chocolate for the ganache for best flavor and smoothness.
- Cover the pastry cream surface with plastic wrap while cooling to prevent skin formation.
- Profiteroles soften quickly after filling; enjoy immediately for optimal texture.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
