Monday, June 11, 2007

PROFITEROLES

In the past, I remember not liking desserts that were made with cream puff pastry/choux pastry. I just didn't find them very uninteresting taste- and texture-wise...

I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I always found that they tasted like cardboard and that the pastry was quite dry. But, since I've started making my own, I changed my mind and really crave those little baked wonders!

Before I got to that The King Arthur Flour (see link) recipe, I never got very good results, because the other recipes had the tendancy to give sagging puffs that ressembled omelets. Now, my cream puffs are always perfect and keep their shape.

Those "Profiteroles" (see infos) are extremely delightful and highly satisfying. On the outside, the cream puffs are crispy and their center is smooth and elastic. Flavor-wise, the butter is very omnipresent and makes them all the more delicious. And that chocolate sauce smothered all over them is ever so gorgeous!

A real treat that is simple to make, yet very delicate, distinguished and effectful!

~ Profiteroles ~
Recipes by "The King Arthur Flour".

Makes about 16 cream puffs.


Ingredients for the cream puff pastry:
1 Cup (240g) Water

8 Tbs (125g) Unsalted butter

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 1/4 Cups (158g) Plain white flour

4 Eggs (~53g)

For the chocolate sauce:

1/2 Cup (105g) Castor sugar

1/4 Cup (23g) Unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 Cup (165g) Light corn syrup

1/4 Cup (60g) Milk
2 Tbs (30g) Unsalted butter
1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract


Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 220° C (425° F).
2. Put the water, butter and salt in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
3. Remove it from the heat and add the flour all at once.

4. Stir vigorously.
5. Return the pan to the burner and cook over medium heat, stirring all the while, until the mixture forms a ball (about a minute).
6. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minute.

7. Transfer the dough to a mixer and beat in the eggs one at a time.
8. Beat at least two minutes after adding the last egg.
9. Form the choux paste into whatever shape you desire.
10. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven tempe
rature to 190° C (375° F) and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
11. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack and leave the pastry inside to cool for 30 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven too cool completely.
For the chocolate sauce:
13. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup and milk.
14. Stir to blend.
15. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a full boil.
16. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
17. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the butter and vanilla extract.
18. Keep stirring until the butter has completely melted.
19. Drizzle this hot sauce over the cream puffs and eat straight away.

Remarks:

After the 5 to 10 minutes of cooling, the pastry will still feel hot, but you should be able to hold a finger in it for a few seconds.

After having incorporated the eggs and beaten the mixture, the paste will become quite fluffy.
To shape the choux, use either a spoon or a pastry bag (to pipe).
Instead of using corn syrup for the sauce, you can either replace it by golden syrup, honey or "mélasse à tartiner" (only in Switzerland).
The sauce can easily be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week and reheated before serving.

Serving suggestions:
You can slice the cream puffs in half and fill them with either whipped cream or or a scoop of your favorite ice cream (I recommend vanilla or walnut ice cream) and then drizzle the "Chocolate Sauce" over them.

38 comments:

  1. humm! I'll try them pretty soon...
    Nice to meet you yesterday at the blogs'party ! :)
    Corinne

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  2. CORINNE: Thanks! They are really delicious!
    It was also a real pleasure for me to get to know you and eat your fabulous food:-D! Bises..

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  3. Mon dieu, c'est de la torture que tu nous fais dès le matin :)
    Magnifique

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  4. c'est vrai que les profiteroles ou les choux a la crème sont bien meilleurs fait maison
    les tiens sont magnifiquement bien gonflés

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  5. j'adore ça... c'est un grand classique toujours boooon!

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  6. Rosa, les profiteroles sont mon dessert préféré. Ta recette je la note et je vais tester. Tes photos sont toujours aussi parfaites, j'ai envie d'attraper ces petits choux.

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  7. La tuerie oui, à une époque, je ne mangeais que ca comme dessert ! Et c'est vrai que c'est bien meilleur quand on les fait soit même !!!

    Biz
    Claude

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  8. oh qu'elles sont diaboliquement tentantes tes profiteroles... miam...!!

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  9. elles sont magnifiques ! que j'aime ça !
    je fais aussi ces petits choux de temps en temps.

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  10. Pas fan des petits choux, je suis pourtant une grande adoratrice des profiteroles !
    Tes photos sont démentes...

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  11. tu me donnes envie d'en faire...c'est si bon...

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  12. Oh my god !!
    Les profiterolles, c'est vraiment mon péché mignon.
    Avec de la glace vanille et de la crème chantilly, ce sera parfait pour moi! :o)

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  13. Je suis d'accord avec ti une chou maison c,est tellement plus bon.Le tien a l'air délicieux.

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  14. Je n'en ai jamais fait moi-meme, mais tu me donne tres envie avec ta photo decadente.

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  15. Slurp, je craque

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  16. Je suis définitivement conquise!

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  17. Those look amazing! I always get an arm work out stirring the dough, maybe i'm doing it wrong?

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  18. Oh my God!! On dirait une fontaine à chocolat!!!!

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  19. I really dont mind having some if you still have some leftovers ya :)

    Er...bet not huh? I bet you finish off huh? Yep...I should have known better that you've baked and made it looks so good here :D

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  20. Irrésistibles tes profiterolles !!
    Bisous, Marie

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  21. Hummm !!!! c'est une tuerie ce dessert avec tout ce chocolat qui dégouline.
    Bisous, Doria

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  22. ah la la ce chocolat qui fond.. slurp slurp

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  23. Amazing ! Seems really delicious !! Hummm...

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  24. Elles somt magnifiques !

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  25. Splendides ! Et ce chocolat qui dégouline... mmmm

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  26. I don't like this dessert but I must say yours are so "choux"! I can't take my mind off the glossy melted chocolate!

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  27. J'adore les profiteroles, c'est mon dessert préféré !

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  28. Très belles ces profiteroles et ta photo avec le chocolat qui dégouline est trop tentante! C'est très bon, ce grand classique...

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  29. I have been looking for a Profiterole recipe for about a week - Et Voilà! I found it on your blog! I am thinking to try them this weekend - I will let you know how they turn out!

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  30. Comment ne pas craquer devant une telle profiterole?! Même avec cette chaleur j'en veux bien!

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  31. humm elle me donne bien envie !

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  32. sûre que fait maison ça n'a rien à voir!! superbe

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  33. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR KIND COMMENTS! I was really happy to see that you liked my recipe... Cheerz!

    MERCI POUR TOUS VOUS GENTILS COMMENTAIRES! Je suis très heureuse de savoir que ma recette vous plaît. Bises...

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  34. je les aimes et ca l air trop bon

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  35. These look perfect. cant believe they are this easy to make, now i have no excuse not to try them! :)

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