Profiteroles Choux Puffs Recipes

PROFITEROLES

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.

PROFITEROLES

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.

CHOUX PASTRY- FOR PROFITEROLES, CREAM PUFFS OR ECLAIRS

Steps:

• Place the butter and the water in a saucepan. Bring the water to the boil and stir until the butter has melted. Remove from the stove.
• Stir in the sifted flour. Add the flour all at once. Beat until smoth.
• Return to the heat, and stir vigourously until the mixture leaves the sides of the saucepan and forms a smooth ball.
• Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
• Whisk the eggs well and then add them to the choux ball. Beat the eggs into the mixture.
• Use a piping bag to pipe 7-10 cm lengths for eclairs, or place in spoonfuls onto greased cookie trays for cream puffs or profiteroles or pipe into dotted shapes for uniformly shaped profiteroles.
• Bake in a hot oven - 220°C for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 200°C and continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
• Turn the oven off.
• Remove from the oven and immediately make a small slit in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape. Return to the oven for a few minutes to help dry them out. The oven has already been turned off.

PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Simmer butter & water: Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When mostly melted, add water then bring to a rapid simmer.
• Add flour: While liquid is simmering, add flour and pinch of salt, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon (still on stove) until the dough forms sort of a ball and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan (see video). About 1 minute.
• Cool: Remove from heat and let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 220°C/420°F (200°C fan).
• Prepare trays: Lightly grease 2 large or 3 standard baking trays with butter, then line with paper. (Grease stops paper sliding)
• Add egg into cool dough: Add 1 egg into batter, beat until combined. Add remaining eggs one at a time making sure each is combined before adding the next. Dough should be like a thick paste (see video).
• Transfer to piping bag: Place dough into a piping bag fitted with a 13 - 15mm round tip (1/2 - 3/5").
• Pipe blobs: Pipe 2 tsp blobs 5cm/2" apart (I do 16 on each tray). Makes 40 - 50 blobs.
• Pat down peak: Wet your finger with water and pat down any peaks to form domes (for nice round balls).
• Bake 2 trays at a time for 15 minutes, switching the trays halfway.
• Remove from oven, reduce heat to 180°C/35°0F (160°C fan). They should be crispy enough that when pierced, they will not collapse - if not, return to oven for 3 minutes.
• Pierce balls with knife then return to oven for 5 - 7 minutes until golden and crispy.
• Cool & fill: Transfer to rack, cool fully before filling with custard, cream or split then fill with ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate and serve!

PATE A CHOUX PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and butter, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the salt, sugar and flour, and stir vigorously with a heatproof spatula. Cook, stirring constantly, until a dense dough forms that pulls away from the side of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Add the dough to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. On low speed, beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a 1-ounce scoop, drop the dough, 1 inch apart, onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake until puffed and golden, 35 to 40 minutes. (The puffs should feel light when you pick them up.) Make sure to keep the oven shut until at least the halfway point -- if you open the oven before 20 minutes have elapsed, the puffs will deflate and you won't be able to get the texture back. Remove the puffs from the oven and prick each one on the side to allow the steam to escape. Let cool completely.
• To dip in chocolate: If desired, dip the tops of the puffs in Warm Chocolate Ganache, shaking off the excess. Place on a platter and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Let stand for about 30 minutes, to set the glaze, before eating.
• Heat 1 inch or so of water in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put the chocolate chips and cream in a heatproof bowl that fits snugly into the saucepan without touching the water. Heat, stirring, until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes.

BASIC CHOUX PASTRY AND TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Place salt, water, sugar (if using) and butter in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the water is starting to boil (butter should be melted at this point), add the flour in one go (do this with the saucepan away from the stove/heat) and vigorously mix the flour in, so that it absorbs all of the water (use a wooden spoon or spatula to do this). When the flour has absorbed the water and it's forming a dough, return the pan to the stove (medium heat).
• Cook the dough for 1 - 3 minutes (over medium heat) while you mix and move it around in the pan until you get a dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan, forms a film or oil droplets on the bottom of the pan, and when you stick a regular tablespoon in the dough, it stays upright. (The cook time will vary depending on your stove top).
• Transfer the dough to a bowl, and let it cool down slightly for a few minutes. Add the vanilla extract (if using), and then with a hand-held mixer (or whisk), mix the dough while adding the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Make sure the eggs are lightly beaten so that you can stop adding eggs immediately, when you reach the right consistency (i.e. a dough with a glossy sheen with pipeable consistency. You may or may not use up all the eggs, please see the post for details).
• Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and mist the surface with water (either using a mister or lightly sprinkle water with your hands - this is an optional step).
• Pipe the desired shape on to the baking sheet - either using a piping bag fitted with a large tip (I use Wilton 1A or 2A tip, or you can cut the pastry bag opening instead), or spoon it on to the tray, using a teaspoon. Then with a damp finger, flatten the apex and any points.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 - 40 minutes in the center of the oven, or until the choux pastry shells puff up and are golden brown on top. Do not open the oven door, at least until you have reached the 25 minute mark. Importantly, baking time depends on the size of your pastry shell. If you prefer a drier shell, bake for a couple of minutes longer.
• During the last 5 - 10 minutes of baking, prick each shell with a skewer or toothpick and let them dry out in the oven while baking.
• Remove from the oven, and let the choux pastry cases cool completely in a draft-free area. Preferably in a place that is not cold. (Letting them cool in an open but turned off oven is even better, but not necessary).
• Fill with a sweet or savory filling and serve immediately. Or you can store cooled choux pastry shells in an air-tight container for up to one day. To store them for longer, keep them in the freezer in an air-tight container.

PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
• In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
• Scrape the mixture into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (You can also use a hand mixer.) Beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until the dough is warm but not hot.
• With the mixer running, add 3 eggs, one at a time stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick but fall slowly and steadily from the beater when lifted out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beater, add the remaining 1 egg and mix until incorporated.
• Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, and pipe fat dots about 1 1/2 inches wide by 1 inch tall spaced about 2 inches apart onto the lined baking sheet.
• Light wet a finger with water and press the tops of each dough mound to smooth out any points of dough that remain on the surface. If desired, you can lightly brush the tops of each dough mound with an egg wash.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffed up and light golden brown. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. However, if your oven heats unevenly rotate the pan halfway through baking. Let the puffs cool completely on the baking sheet.
• When ready to serve, place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl.
• Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat or heat in the microwave. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir together until smooth and the chocolate is completely melted.
• Cut each cooled puff in half. Place a scoop of ice cream on the bottom half and place the other half on top of the ice cream. Drizzle with the chocolate sauce and serve immediately.

HOW TO MAKE CHOUX PASTRY (PâTE à CHOUX)

Steps:

• Watch the video in the blog post above; it will help guide you through the next few steps.
• Combine the butter, water, milk, salt, and granulated sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted. Bring mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and add the flour all at once. Stir until the flour is completely incorporated and a thick dough clumps into a ball. Mash the dough ball against the bottom and sides of the pan for 1 minute, which gently cooks the flour. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or, if using a handheld mixer, a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool down for a few minutes before adding the eggs in the next step.
• With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the eggs in 3-4 separate additions mixing for 30 seconds between each. The mixture will look curdled at first, but will begin to come together as the mixer runs. Pour in the final addition of beaten eggs very slowly. Stop adding when the choux pastry has reached the desired texture: shiny, thick, and smooth with a pipeable consistency. I usually leave a few teaspoons of beaten egg behind, which can be used with the egg wash.
• Your choux pastry dough is complete! You can use it immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly brush the parchment with water, which creates a humid environment for the pastry shells allowing them to puff up without drying out or burning.
• Transfer choux pastry dough to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A piping tip. Pipe 2-inch mounds about 3 inches apart. Watch the video in the blog post above for a visual. You can also use a zipped-top bag and cut off the corner for easy piping. Using a water moistened finger, smooth down the peaks and lightly brush each with egg wash.
• Bake for 20 minutes then, keeping the pastries in the oven, reduce oven to 350°F (177°C) and continue to bake for 10-15 more minutes until golden brown. Do not open the oven as the pastries cook, as cool air will prevent them from properly puffing up. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before filling.
• Split open pastries and fill with homemade whipped cream, lemon curd, pastry cream, jam, a combination of these, or your favorite filling. You can also poke a hole in the pastries and pipe the filling inside. For my pictured cream puffs and profiteroles, see recipe notes.
• Cover and store leftover filled pastries in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover and store unfilled pastries at room temperature for 1 day, in the refrigerator for 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before filling and serving.

PROFITEROLES (CHOUX PUFFS)

Steps:

• Bring water and butter to a boil in a 2 quart heavy saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to moderate add flour all at once and cook, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from the pan (about 2 minutes) remove pan from heat and add eggs, 1 at a time (2 egg whites at a time), stirring vigorously after each addition until smooth preheat oven to 425*F.
• Transfer dough to a pastry bag (I used a ziplock with a snipped end perfectly) and pipe mounds 1/3 inch in diameter about 1/2 inch apart on 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment.
• Gently flatten tips of mounds with a moist fingertip.
• Bake 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven until golden brown and cooked through, 12-15 minutes.