Airy profiteroles with custard
Content
Small but mighty – that’s how you can describe these amazing choux pastries of French origin with the interesting name “profiteroles”. Translated from French, "profiterole" means a small reward, a small but profitable purchase, or, in general, a pleasant little treat. This is certainly true, as profiteroles are often served in cafes as a bonus with tea, coffee, or cocoa.
Classic choux pastry
The cake base uses a classic choux pastry recipe. This profiteroles recipe is easy and doesn't take much time. However, to achieve a perfect base, just like the one in the photo, the pastry should be made with the freshest, highest-quality ingredients.
So, for classic choux pastry you will need:
- premium wheat flour - 1 cup
- chicken eggs - 4 pcs (or 3 large)
- butter - 100 g
- fine salt - 1/2 tsp
- granulated sugar - 1 tsp
- full-fat milk - 1 tbsp
Pour the milk into a saucepan. Once it's hot, add the sugar and finely chopped butter. Bring the mixture to a boil. When the first bubbles and foam appear, add the well-sifted flour and stir with a wooden or silicone spatula.
Remove the mixture from the heat. To ensure a lump-free dough, the recipe calls for vigorous kneading. Then return the saucepan to the lowest heat and heat until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. Remove from the stove.
Add the eggs one at a time to the cooled dough, stirring with a spoon until smooth. To speed up the process, you can use a mixer. The resulting dough should be elastic and pasty, as shown in the photo.
Pipe the profiteroles onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. The easiest way to do this is with a piping bag, as shown in the photo. The diameter of the profiteroles should be approximately 40-50 mm. Bake the cakes for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). This is a simple recipe for classic choux pastry.
Cut the prepared profiteroles so that the cream fits inside.
Lemon profiteroles
The classic dough recipe for this cake can be found above, but the cream is a whole other story. A very delicate and excitingly fresh lemon-cream cream turns profiteroles into a delightful treat. And, by the way, it's quite easy to make.
Creamy lemon curd:
- Egg - 1 pc.
- Butter - 20 g
- Heavy cream - 150 g
- Vanillin
- Granulated sugar - 1 tbsp
- Whole lemon - 1 pc.
- Powdered sugar - 80 g
Beat the egg with the sugar until completely combined. Combine with the grated lemon zest and squeezed juice. Whisk everything together and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then, strain the mixture through cheesecloth to remove any excess. Add the butter and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes.
Whip the cream with powdered sugar using a mixer and combine with the cooled lemon curd. The resulting curd will be slightly yellowish, as in the photo. Using a pastry bag, pipe the curd into the icing.
Cognac profiteroles
This “alcoholic” recipe is, of course, intended exclusively for adults.
So, for the cream you will need:
- Butter - 100 g
- Chicken eggs - 1 pc.
- Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup
- Dark chocolate - 50 g
- Cognac - 2 tbsp
Beat the eggs with sugar and place them in a double boiler until thickened. Chop the chocolate as shown in the photo and melt in the microwave, then mix it with the butter. Add the chocolate mixture to the cooled egg mixture and pour in the cognac. The perfect profiteroles filling is ready!
