Profiteroles and Cream Puffs – A Tasty Pastry Tradition

To assemble the Profiteroles/Cream Puffs

• Chocolate glaze (see below)
• Pastry cream (see below)

Pipe the pastry cream into the slits you created during baking. Make sure you fill the bottoms
with enough cream to mound above the pastry.

The glaze should be barely warm to the touch. Spread the glaze over the tops of
the filled puffs using a metal icing spatula.

If you are serving later in the day, let the chocolate cool after you’ve glazed the puffs. Use plastic wrap or a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes about 18-20 profiteroles/cream puffs
(Depending on the size of mounds you create)

Ingredients for Choux Paste
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

Directions

Prepare 2 large cookie sheets with non-stick spray OR silicon baking mats.

In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat butter, water and salt until butter mixture boils. Remove from heat.

Add flour all at once. With wooden spoon, vigorously stir until mixture forms a ball and leaves side of pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add eggs to flour mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until smooth. Cool mixture slightly.

Use a large spoon and rubber spatula, drop batter onto cookie sheets in large mounds, 3 inches apart, swirling top of each. Bake 50 minutes. Cut slit in side of each shell and bake 10 minutes longer. Turn off oven; dry shells in oven 10 minutes. Cool on rack.

Puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Makes about 4 2/3 cups

Ingredients for Vanilla Pastry Cream

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk

6 egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups heavy or whipping cream

Directions

In a medium sized saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt; stir in the milk. Over medium heat, cook, stirring until mixture thickens and boils – about 10 minutes. Boil 1 minute.

In a small bowl with a fork, beat 6 egg yolks slightly. Beat a small amount of milk mixture into the egg yolks. Slowly pour egg mixture back into milk mixture, stirring. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until the mixture thickens and coats back of spoon, about 8-10 minutes (do not boil!). To check for correct thickness: Dip a spoon in the mixture and lift from mixture, holding for 15 seconds. The spoon should not show through the mixture. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 2+ hours.

In a small bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. With a large rubber spatula, gently fold cream into the custard.

Makes 1 cup

1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream
3½ oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
7 tbsp (110 g) Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature

In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Notes

• If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water.
• It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104 F) when ready to glaze.

Makes 1½ cups

4½ oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (250 g) water
½ cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream
1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.

It may take 10‐15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Notes

• You can make this sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for two weeks. Reheat the sauce in a microwave oven or a double boiler before using.
• This sauce is also great for cakes, ice-cream and tarts.