Welcome to Paulina Cocina, friends! How are you? Today I'm sharing all my secrets and telling you how to make sweet profiteroles .
Profiteroles are a French culinary delight; they're small balls of dough that are either fried or baked . If you've never tried them, then this is your chance. You're in luck because you just found the best profiterole recipe.
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About classic profiteroles
These French pastry treats are small balls that are often filled with a variety of delicious options, such as pastry cream or Chantilly cream , ice cream, or even dulce de leche . They can generally be served hot or cold and are a culinary success and very popular all over the world.
The classic recipe for making profiteroles includes flour, eggs, butter, and water , but there are also variations and adaptations of the recipe depending on the tastes and preferences of the cook or the place where they are prepared.
What does profiteroles mean?
The word profiteroles is a French term that directly refers to the French dumpling we are discussing today.
The term comes from the French “profiter,” which means “to benefit” or “to profit,” and suggests that this delicacy is something to be enjoyed and profited from when trying it for its unique flavor and unparalleled texture.
What is the origin of profiteroles?
Profiteroles originate in France , where they are believed to have been invented by French chef Claude Gelée in the 17th century.
They became popular at the court of Louis XIV and have been a French culinary delight ever since.
Chef Gelée served as Louis XIV's personal chef for a long time, introducing the world to this delicacy at the French court. Furthermore, Louis XIV's court was known for its luxurious lifestyle and taste in fine food, so profiteroles quickly became a popular delicacy among members of the court.
It's believed that profiteroles became popular at the court of Louis XIV, where they were introduced. This is where the creativity and culinary skills of French chef Claude Gelée were showcased.
Today they are popular all over the world and can be found in many restaurants and bakeries.
How does this profiterole recipe work?
It's so simple! You'll know this recipe from the recipe we made with Hecatombe Paprika. If you haven't watched that video , I recommend it because you'll find a detailed explanation of this recipe there.
First, you need to make the famous "pastilla" dough . This is achieved by mixing a few ingredients, such as flour, with boiling water and butter until a smooth dough forms. Here's a video on how to make this yeast-free dough and enjoy some unmissable profiteroles.
Place the dough in a pastry bag and roll it into small balls on a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
The perfect filling for profiteroles
Sweet profiteroles can be filled with a variety of fillings, such as pastry cream , Chantilly whipped cream, ice cream, or even dulce de leche. They can also be covered with a chocolate or caramel coating.
In France, they are usually served as a dessert or hot appetizer. Therefore, they are accompanied with a variety of sauces, such as chocolate sauce or caramel sauce. They are also commonly served with ice cream and Chantilly cream for a cool, creamy touch.
- Another fact: there is also a savory variant of this recipe , known as savory choux , which are filled with options such as cheese, ham, tuna, etc. They are usually served as an appetizer or as a main course.
The ingredients we will need to make homemade profiteroles
The basic ingredients for making profiteroles are water, butter, salt, flour, and eggs. Each ingredient plays a specific role in the final flavor and texture.
- Water and butter are the first ingredients to be heated together in a pot. The butter gives the dough flavor and texture, while the water helps bind the ingredients together and provides the necessary moisture.
- Salt is an essential ingredient in dough, because it helps balance the flavors and enhance the overall taste.
- Of course, flour is the main ingredient in profiterole dough. It's the flour that gives the dough its consistency and texture.
The most classic and commonly used flour is regular wheat flour or bakery flour. This gives the profiterole batter a good consistency. However, if you're looking for a gluten-free option, you can also use rice flour, almond flour, or coconut flour .
- Eggs are responsible for giving the dough its texture and moisture. Eggs help the profiteroles rise during the baking process. If you use small eggs, you'll probably need to add one more to the ingredient list.
The optional chocolate coating
Because we love to make chocolate coatings with everything, and in this case, profiteroles are no exception.
Luckily, if you can make a chocolate coating for profiteroles, they actually turn out very well.
- An easy way to do this is to melt dark or semisweet chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave with a little butter or cream, and then dip the profiteroles into the melted coating.
You can also use powdered chocolate or chocolate chips to make a thicker, more solid coating that can be melted in a saucepan over medium heat and then used to cover the profiteroles.
Chocolate coating is always a delicious option to add an extra touch of sweetness and flavor to profiteroles.
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Recipe for sweet profiteroles filled with cream
Yields: 15 units
Total preparation time: 1 hour
Ingredients
For the dough
- 4 eggs.
- 1 cup of water.
- 1 pinch of salt.
- 70g of butter.
- 1 cup of flour.
- Chocolate coating for decoration.
For the cream
- 200 ml of milk.
- 1 splash of vanilla essence or lemon peel.
- Cinnamon stick.
- 50 gr of sugar.
- 2 egg yolks.
- 20 gr cornstarch.
How to make sweet profiteroles filled with cream
Preparing the cream
- Place 150 ml of milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 55 g of sugar to the bowl, along with the lemon peel (without the white part) and the cinnamon stick.
- Microwave for 2 minutes at full power.
- In another bowl, place the 2 egg yolks and set the whites aside.
- Along with the egg yolks, add 50 ml of milk and 20 g of cornstarch. Using a wire whisk, mix everything until smooth.
- Once the previous step is achieved, add the hot milk. Stir and microwave for 1 more minute at full power.
- The pastry cream is ready when it's thick and smooth. Let it cool before using.
Preparation of classic filled profiteroles
Before you start, preheat your oven to its maximum setting.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the water, along with the cubed butter and salt over medium heat until the butter has melted.
- Once it reaches a boil, add the flour all at once and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until a dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the pot. Don't despair if it seems to curdle; continue stirring until it comes together.
- Once you've achieved the previous step, pour the dough into a bowl and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well with a whisk after each addition. The dough should be soft, smooth, and should fall off on its own.
- Once combined, place the dough in a pastry bag and form small, pretty pairs on a previously greased baking sheet.
- Bake at 180º for about 20-25 minutes or until the profiteroles are puffed up.
- After the time has passed, lower the heat to minimum and cook for a few more minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the tray from the oven and let it cool. Fill with the cream and drizzle with chocolate if desired.
