Classic Profiteroles Recipe
Learn a classic profiteroles recipe with step-by-step instructions and tips to master cream puffs with ice cream and chocolate sauce.
Servings 30 profiteroles
Ingredients
For the shells
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into cubes
- ½ tsp kosher salt, or fine sea salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs (about 200 g)
For the chocolate sauce
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream (35% m.f.)
- 8 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
To serve
- Vanilla ice cream, or homemade vanilla gelato
Instructions
Make the Choux Pastry
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When the mixture is boiling, add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Keep cooking and stirring the mixture over medium heat for about 1 minute to eliminate excess moisture. A thin layer of dough will stick to the bottom and sides of the pan; this is normal and a sign that the dough is properly cooked. Take off the heat.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer, or to a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, and let cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow some of the steam to come out.
- Set the mixer to medium speed, and beat the eggs in one at a time, making sure each egg is well incorporated before adding the next. Scrape the bowl down between each addition. Every time you add an egg, the dough will separate and look curdled, but it will then come back together in a super sticky, crumbly way. The dough will keep on getting smoother as you add more eggs. The dough is done when it is very thick and sticky, but also smooth and elastic.
- Choux pastry can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours (half a day.) You do not need to bring choux pastry back to room temperature before baking.
Shape the Profiterole Shells
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If using a cookie scoop to shape the prof: Fill a ¾ oz (1 ½ tbsp) cookie scoop scant with choux pastry, then wipe excess pastry off the sides of the scoop (this will create cleaner mounds of dough.) Drop the choux pastry onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat these steps, setting the puffs 3 inches (8 cm) apart to leave plenty of room for expansion. You should be able to fit about 12 profiteroles on a standard half-sheet pan. (Refrigerate the remaining choux pastry between batches.) Using damp fingertips, press down any peaks of dough to create round puffs.
- If using a piping bag to shape the profiteroles: Fit a large pastry bag with a size 6 (Ateco 806) round pastry tip. (The opening should be ½-in / 1¼ cm.) Fold the top 3 inches (7 cm) of the piping bag down over itself like a cuff. Using a spatula, scoop and push the choux pastry into the bag. Unfold the cuff and squeeze the bag to push the choux paste toward the tip. Firmly twist the top part of the bag to push the choux pastry down into the tip.
- Hold the bag with the tip perpendicular to the baking sheet. With the tip of the bag touching the sheet, squeeze gently and evenly with one hand, while guiding the tip of the bag with the other. Pipe out mounds of dough about the size of a ping pong ball (1 ½-in / 4 cm). You should be able to fit about 12 profiteroles on a standard half-sheet pan. Using damp fingertips, press down peaks of dough to create round puffs.
Bake the profiterole shells
- Place a rack in the middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Bake one sheet of profiterole shells for about 30 minutes, or until the shells are golden brown all around (if the puffs are light blond in the middle section, they will collapse upon cooling.) Carefully slide the parchment paper sheet with the shells on off the sheet onto a rack to cool, or transfer shells to the rack directly. Let cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes.
- Repeat the baking steps to prepare all the profiterole shells. If you have only one baking sheet, you can pull the parchment paper sheet out of the sheet and carefully transfer that to the wire rack for cooling. Run the baking sheet under cold water to cool it down, then line with parchment paper and repeat the steps to bake a second batch of profiteroles.
Assemble the Profiteroles
- Make the chocolate sauce: In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Whisk until most of the chocolate is melted. Cover and let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk gently until completely smooth. Transfer to a serving jug.
- Use a serrated knife to cut off the top third of each pastry shell. Set each "cap" right by its shell.
- Fill each bottom with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then cover with its top. Repeat to fill all the profiteroles.
- SERVING: Set the profiteroles in front of your guests and pour warm chocolate sauce over each portion. Enjoy right away.
Video
Notes
How to freeze profiterole shells: Only freeze empty shells. Bake the shells as indicated, then let them cool to room temperature. Place all the profiterole shells on a baking sheet, then freeze the sheet for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Once the shells are frozen hard, gently transfer them to an airtight container or heavy-duty plastic bag (the frozen shells are very fragile and can break easily if they’re not handled with care.) Keep frozen for up to 1 month.
To use frozen profiterole shells: Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Place the shells on a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely to room temperature. (This will return the profiterole shells to their crisp, freshly baked state.) Proceed with filling the profiteroles as indicated above.
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