Profiteroles with Creme Patissiere & Chocolate Sauce
Choux Pastry
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100 grams unsalted butter
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
Pinch salt
Bring the water and butter to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Stir for about 1 minute to dry out the dough a bit. Remove from the heat, transfer dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
While the dough cools, preheat your oven to 420˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly spray the baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
Once the dough has cooled, add the eggs on low speed, one at a time until each is incorporated. The dough may look like it isn’t mixing but it will come together. Once the dough is smooth, transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 1 tablespoon of the mixture into mounds- 2 inches apart from each one on the baking sheet. Wet the tip of your finger and smooth down any peaks that formed on the top while piping.
Bake the profiteroles for 15 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 350˚F. The profiteroles should be crispy enough that they hold their shape and don’t collapse when pierced. Pierce the profiteroles with the tip of a paring knife on the side of the ball. (Return the trays to the oven for 3 additional minutes before piercing if they aren’t crispy enough.) Bake for 5-7 minutes until golden brown and crispy. (This step is the secret to crispy profiteroles!) Remove from the oven and cool completely before filling. Fill with your desired filling and serve drizzled with a generous amount of chocolate sauce.
Crème Patissiere
The filling
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Whisk together the sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in a medium bowl until mixture is pale yellow and “makes ribbons” when the beaters are lifted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour; whisk until smooth.
Bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually temper milk into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Boil mixture, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, transfer mixture to a bowl; press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Mixture can be chilled, covered, for up to 3 days.
Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat the heavy cream over medium heat in a small pot. Add the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Drizzle the cake with as much ganache as you like.