Profiteroles with chantilly cream
Now that i’m on maternity leave, i’m finding that i have a lot of time on my hands. This can be a good thing, or in my case, a bad thing. What i like to do when i’m bored is bake and baking usually equals eating! I’ve put on quite a few kilos since being pregnant and i know it’s all normal, but i do not need these extra calories – trust me!
Anyway, there is only 2.5 weeks (give or take) till i’m due, so i may as well make the most of the spare time i have. And for today, i decided it was profiterole day!
My dad is a retired chef, but when he was working as a pastry chef, he used to make the most delicious profiteroles. I haven’t come across any since that were as good as his. I have to admit these ones aren’t as good as the ones he used to make but they fill the void nice enough 
Profiteroles resting
Ingredients
Choux pastry
- 125 ml Milk
- 200 ml Water
- 150 g Plain Flour
- 1 teaspoon golden caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 4 medium Eggs lightly beaten
Chantilly cream
- 1½ Vanilla pod split
- 300 ml whipping cream
- 1½ tablespoons icing sugar
Chocolate topping
- 200 g good quality Dark Chocolate 70% cocoa solids
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons clear honey or golden syrup
Method
Choux pastry
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Place the milk, cold water, salt, sugar into a pan and set over a low heat. Once the sugar and salt has dissolved add the butter. Once the butter has melted, bring to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat then tip in the flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon. As soon as the mixture starts to come away from the side of the pan, stop beating and tip onto a plate to cool.
- Return the mixture to the pan, then gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, mixing well between each addition, until you have a smooth paste. (Alternatively, transfer the mix to an electric mixer and gradually add the eggs while the mixer is running on a low setting).
- Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle (about 1.5cm in diameter). Pipe a small blob of the pastry mix under each corner of the greaseproof to keep the paper in place. Now pipe about 20 walnut-sized balls onto the baking sheet, spaced well apart. Level the peaked tops with the tip of a wet finger then bake for 18-20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
Chantilly cream
- For the Chantilly cream scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into a large mixing bowl. Add the cream, and icing sugar then whisk together until the consistency of a soft meringue with floppy peaks. Spoon the cream into a clean piping bag, fitted with a small plain nozzle. Pierce the base of a choux bun with the tip of the nozzle and pipe in the cream. Repeat with the remaining choux buns.
Chocolate topping
- For the chocolate sauce, break the chocolate into small pieces in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat. Add the butter and honey/golden syrup stirring from time to time, until the chocolate begins to melt. (If it’s a little thick, add in a little bit of milk till it’s a nice dipping consistency). Dip the profiteroles in the chocolate and serve.
This recipe was adapted from Gordon Ramsay.
Jen, these look so good, one of my fav desserts, but I have always been too scared to make them.
You should try Cam, it’s really pretty easy
You have inspired me to make these, i love profiteroles!
The profiteroles i used to eat had custard in them too. Unfortunately you don’t find those much around anymore