# Profiteroles



## Ishbel (Jan 20, 2006)

I've got friends coming for dinner tonight.  This is one of the puddings I'm serving
 
*Recipe from a Delia Smith book, with my personal modifications!  My apologies for those who regularly make choux pastry – and who may feel that I’m spelling out the process in too much detail -  but this method has proved a ‘never fail’ one, and a lot of my younger family members have learned by following the process shown below! *
* *
*Choux buns*
60g strong plain flour 
1 level teaspoon caster sugar 
50g butter, cut into small pieces 
2 large eggs, well beaten 
*Filling*
275 ml double cream, whipped thick 
(sometimes I add flavourings, eg orange zest or brandy or, my daughter’s favourite – nutella!) 
*Chocolate sauce*
225g good, plain dark chocolate 
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F 
 
Good, solid baking sheet, lightly greased, and some baking parchment (silicone paper).
 
(As you are going to need to 'shoot' the flour quickly into the water and melted butter, fold a sheet of baking parchment (silicone paper) to make a crease, then open it up again. Sift the flour straight on to the square of parchment and add the sugar).
 
Put 150ml of cold water in a medium-sized saucepan together with the pieces of butter, then place the saucepan over a moderate heat and stir with a wooden spoon. As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture comes up to the boil, turn off the heat immediately, as too much boiling will evaporate some of the water. Then tip in the flour – all in one go – with one hand, while you beat the mixture vigorously with the other. You can do this with a wooden spoon or an electric hand whisk. Beat until you have a smooth ball of paste that has left the sides of the saucepan clean – this will probably take less than a minute. Then beat in the beaten eggs – a little at a time, mixing in each addition thoroughly before adding the next – until you have a smooth, glossy paste.
 
At this stage, hold the greased baking sheet under cold running water for a few seconds, and tap it sharply to get rid of excess moisture. This will help create a steamier atmosphere, which in turn helps the pastry to rise.
 
To make the choux buns, place teaspoonfuls of choux paste on the baking sheet, leaving about an inch between them, and bake on a high shelf in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Then, increase the heat to gas mark 7, 425°F  and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the choux buns are crisp, light and a rich golden colour. Pierce the side of each one to let out the steam, then cool them on a wire rack.
 
To make the chocolate sauce, melt the chocolate, together with three tablespoons of water, in a basin fitted over a saucepan of simmering water (being careful that the base of the bowl does not touch the water), stirring until you have a smooth sauce (see How to melt chocolate). Just before serving, split the choux buns in half, fill each one with a teaspoonful of whipped cream, then join the halves together again. Pour the melted chocolate over them and serve immediately.
 
PS on’t ‘fill’ the buns too far in advance or they will be soggy!


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## Alix (Jan 20, 2006)

Nutella flavouring? OMG, my daughter would freak out. Thanks Ishbel. Another wonderful idea.


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## mudbug (Jan 20, 2006)

Ishbel said:
			
		

> At this stage, hold the greased baking sheet under cold running water for a few seconds, and tap it sharply to get rid of excess moisture. This will help create a steamier atmosphere, which in turn helps the pastry to rise.


 
That's a twist I hadn't thought of, Izzy.  Will try it next time I make these (apparently it's only once a year!).


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## kadesma (Jan 31, 2006)

Ishbel, made your choux recipe sunday,worked beautifully, but I tried a little something different for the filling,instead of whipped cream, I made and filled them with homemade coffee flavored ice cream then topped with the chocolate sauce..They were great..Thank you...

kadesma


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## Ishbel (Feb 1, 2006)

WOW - that's a GREAT twist!


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## Haggis (Feb 1, 2006)

Made a bunch of profiteroles to take as part of this past Christmas lunch. Filled half with a chocolate mousse, the other half with good old creme pastisserie. Topped some with chocolate, others with a toffee. I actually preferred the toffee ones, if you refrigerate them it goes a bit soft but still crunchy.

Choux pastry is so easy to make I would certainly not buy profiteroles (among other things) when it is so easy to make at home, and you can do anything you want with it!


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## Ishbel (Feb 1, 2006)

You're right, Haggis - why buy 'chewy' profiteroles when you can have such light, wonderful choux buns for so little time and effort?!
My mum sometimes used to make a savoury choux bun topping for shepherd's pie instead of potatoes, or for stews instead of dumplings.  She piped the small 'buns' onto the baking sheet, making sure that they all touched slightly in one place (sort of starting with one in the middle, then piping four or five round the one in the middle to the size of the dish she was going to 'top').  When they were cooked she would just pop the 'crown' on the meat portion of the dish.  She dusted them with parmesan before baking.


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## Haggis (Feb 1, 2006)

Not a bad alternative to the usual heavier yorkies, thanks for the idea Ishbel.


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