Profiteroles: the French recipe for delicious filled and glazed cream puffs

Profiteroles are a dessert recipe typical of French patisserie. This recipe is also known as chou à la crème or cream puffs in the United States. Profiteroles are small choux pastry balls filled with a delicious chantilly cream and then glazed with a smooth chocolate sauce topping.

Profiteroles are very popular dessert that stands out for its scenic presentation. Each piece of choux pastry is served and assembled as a pyramid or tower, much like croquembouches. To make this dessert even more elegant and impressive, decorate it with tufts of whipped cream.

Profiteroles are related to French pastry, but it was the Italian chef Pantarelli who first invented this recipe when he was in the service of Caterina de' Medici. There are the first traces of the term profiteroles in the English language as early as 1600. The term initially was supposed to mean something of small reward and therefore a profit.

Perfect make-ahead dessert, you can serve this fancy profiteroles recipe for a party dinner, or a special occasion. Your guests will love them.

What are Profiteroles made of?

Profiteroles (pronounced pro-phi-trole) are made up of 3 main components. The choux pastry balls are slightly crispy on the outside, while the inside is airy with a fairly large hollow that can be filled with a filling of your choice.

The second main component is the filling. Profiteroles choux balls are usually piped through a pastry bag with a firm cream such as chantilly, custard. Some US recipes call for filling profiteroles with ice cream.

Finally, chocolate sauce cannot be missed. Chocolate is usually drizzled over the profiteroles, otherwise each ball of choux pastry can be dipped in chocolate. Let the hot chocolate set before serving.

Profiteroles vs Eclairs

Although they may look similar, profiteroles are different from eclairs. They both share the same choux pastry-based dough that is covered with a chocolate glaze, but the differences are others.

Eclairs have an elongated shape and are typically filled with a chocolate cream or another of choice. On the other hand, profiteroles are round balls with a cream or custard-based filling.

Tips for making Perfect Profiteroles

Be sure to weigh the ingredients well otherwise the profiteroles batter will be too runny and the choux pastry balls will not rise.

Be careful when incorporating the eggs otherwise the batter may split and the balls will not rise.

If you pierce the balls before they become crispy, they will not keep their shape and will collapse. In any case, do not skip this step because it is thanks to the piercing that the choux pastry balls can cook inside.

If the inside of the profiteroles is sticky, it means the balls have collapsed or need to be baked longer.

To make sure the topping is creamy and the puffs are covered entirely, you need to pay attention to the temperature of the glaze.

You can also make a white variant, with a chocolate cream inside and a white chocolate topping on the outside.

How to store Chocolate Profiteroles

Filled profiteroles can be stored at room temperature for up to 36 hours if it is not too hot.

You can also store the unfilled choux pastry balls in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. , closed in an airtight container. You can also freeze the choux pastry balls without the filling for up to 3 months.

Before serving, reheat them in the oven at 180°C/350°F for up to 5 minutes or until crispy again and then fill it.

How to make Profiteroles

Prepare the choux pastry; in a saucepan heat the milk, water and diced butter. 1 Add a pinch of salt.

When the butter is melted and the liquid reaches a boil, add the sifted flour all at once 2.

Stir for a few moments until the mixture begins to detach from the sides of the saucepan and a white patina has formed on the bottom. Then transfer it to a bowl 3.

Let the mixture cool and, when it is at room temperature, stir in one egg at a time 4.

Mix to incorporate it well 5 and do not add the next one if the previous one has not been perfectly absorbed.

You will need to get a soft but not liquid mixture 6.

Form tufts of choux pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper 7.

Bake the puffs at 190° C (374° F)  in a convection oven for about 17-18 minutes 8.

Remove from the oven and let the puffs cool completely on a wire rack 9.

Whip the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff using the electric whisk 10.

Fill a pastry bag with a pointed nozzle 11, leaving a few tablespoons of cream aside for the final decoration.

Fill the puffs with the Chantilly cream by piercing them at the base 12.

The cream should be visible from the hole, to understand that the puffs are completely filled 13.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce. Pour the water, cream and sugar into a saucepan 14. Bring to a boil.

Then remove from heat and add the finely chopped chocolate 15.

Mix with a whisk to dissolve it completely and obtain a smooth and shiny cream 16.

When the glaze is warm but not hot, at about 30-32 ° C (86-90° F), add it on the stuffed puffs 17.

Compose the profiteroles by arranging them in a pyramid and decorate with sprigs of Chantilly cream 18. Bring to the table and serve.