Chocolate Profiteroles with Pastry Cream

Course: Desserts, Pastry, Snacks, Tea / coffee break

Cuisine: European, French

Prep Time: 1 5

Cook Time: 45

Chilling time: 4

Total Time: 5 35

Servings: Profiteroles

Calories: 133kcal

Author: Dini Kodippili

Classic Chocolate Profiteroles with Pastry Cream! Rich, creamy custard filling inside light, airy, crisp, perfectly baked choux pastry shells, and then drizzled with a luscious chocolate sauce on top.

Makes about 24 - 30 pastries (depending on the piping size).

EASY - This is an easy recipe! There are several components, but each one is easy to make. It is more fun to make this with another person to help fill and dip the profiteroles before serving.

Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results as this recipe has been created with weight measurements for consistent results.

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Ingredients

Choux Pastry

1 batch of choux pastry dough ingredients as below
240 mL water 1 cup. You can also substitute with milk, or use half milk and half water.
115 g unsalted butter 4 oz / 1 stick, cubed and at room temp
140 g AP Flour 1⅛ cup (spooned and leveled)
226 g large eggs 4 large eggs. Weighed with shell. You may not use all eggs.
½ tsp sea salt use less if using table salt
1 tbsp sugar optional
½ tsp vanilla extract optional

Pastry Cream

480 mL whole milk 2 cups
75 g sugar 6 tbsp
Pinch sea salt
30 g cornstarch 3 tbsp packed tablespoons
15 mL vanilla bean paste / extract / 1 vanilla bean pod 1 tbsp
4 large egg yolks
43 g unsalted butter 3 tbsp, softened
45 ml water 3 tbsp, optional
5 g powdered gelatin 1½ tsp, 225 bloom strength. Optional

Chocolate Sauce

170 g semi sweet chocolate 6 oz
120 g heavy cream ½ cup
57 g unsalted butter 4 tbsp / ½ stick, softened
Generous pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp agave / corn syrup optional
2 tbsp bourbon optional, replace with water

Instructions

Choux Pastry

Preheat oven to 375℉ / 190℃.
Prepare choux pastry dough according to this choux pastry recipe. When the choux pastry dough is ready, place it in a pastry bag that has a large round tip (or simply cut the tip off of the pastry bag).
1 batch of choux pastry dough, 240 mL water, 115 g unsalted butter, 140 g AP Flour, 226 g large eggs, ½ tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract
Prepare baking trays by lining it with parchment paper or silpat.
Pipe 1 ½ inch round choux pastry mounds on to the baking sheet, with at least 1 inch space between each. (When piping choux pastry, keep the tip at a 90 degree angle and slightly embedded just under the surface of the piped choux pastry. This is to ensure the piped shape is as smooth as possible).
Either use a water dipped scissor to "cut" the dough, or gently twist the piping tip away from the pastry once you've piped the dough. Then gently flatten the pointy tip with a damp finger.
Mist the surface of the baking tray and pastries with water (either using a mister or lightly sprinkle water with your hands - this is an optional step).
Transfer the piped choux pastry to the preheated oven. 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.
During the last 5 minutes of baking, use a toothpick to quickly pierce each pastry. Bake for the final 5 minutes to allow the pastry to dry out.
Remove from the oven, and prick each shell with a toothpick again and let them cool down completely.

Pastry Cream - Make the day before

Follow instructions in this vanilla pastry cream recipe to make the pastry cream. I recommend adding gelatin for extra stability. You can also make diplomat cream for a lighter filling option.
480 mL whole milk, 75 g sugar, Pinch sea salt, 30 g cornstarch, 15 mL vanilla bean paste / extract / 1 vanilla bean pod, 4 large egg yolks, 43 g unsalted butter, 45 ml water, 5 g powdered gelatin
When the prepared choux pastry has been chilled, place the pastry cream in a piping bag with a bismarck filling tip, or round tip (about ½ cm). Keep it chilled until needed.

Chocolate Sauce

Make the sauce just before you're ready to dip the pastries in the sauce. Place all the ingredients, except for the butter and bourbon, in a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl.
170 g semi sweet chocolate, 120 g heavy cream, Generous pinch of sea salt, 1 tbsp agave / corn syrup
Heat over medium low heat (or over a double boiler). Stir and almost melt the chocolate - about 90%. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir to dissolve all the chocolate with the residual heat. This can be done in the microwave as well.
While the sauce is warm, add the softened butter and bourbon and whisk to mix completely. Use a stick blender to make sure that the sauce is not grainy and is smooth and shiny.
57 g unsalted butter, 2 tbsp bourbon
Use immediately.

Assembly

Cut an ‘x’ on the bottom of the choux pastry (see photos in the post). Pipe in the pastry cream (with a bismarck tip), until the pastry cases are almost full. You can also use a small french star tip (1 cm) and cut a hole on the bottom using this tip as well.
Dip them in the chocolate sauce, and shake off the excess. Place the pastries on a baking tray and allow the chocolate to set a little.
Place the profiteroles on a plate and keep in the fridge (covered) until ready to serve. The pastries are best filled as close to serving time as possible, to prevent them from getting too soggy.
You can also choose to pour the warm chocolate sauce over the profiteroles just before serving.

Video

Notes

Make ahead tips

Choux pastry will lose its crispness after a couple of hours. They do not remain crisp for a long time.

The filling and pasties can be made ahead of time. The filling will last for 4 days in the fridge. The pastries will last 1 - 2 days in the fridge, or up to a month in the freezer.

However, you will need to “freshen up” the pastries in the oven again before filling them. This will prevent the pastries from tasting stale.

To make the pastries crisp and fresh again, place them on a prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Then place them in an oven preheated to 350 F, for about 5 – 10 minutes (depending on the size).

Allow the shells to cool, and then fill and serve.

Storing filled profiteroles

Store the filled profiteroles in the freezer, and let them thaw out at room temperature. Freezing them keeps them tasting better for longer. The profiteroles will go stale much faster if stored in the fridge.

Other choux pasty related recipes

Classic choux pastry, Cream puffs recipe, Chocolate cream puffs, Chouquettes (French sugar puffs), Choux au craquelin, Classic chocolate eclairs, Earl grey eclairs, Chicken bouchees (chicken puffs), Paris brest recipe

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