Profiterol / cream puff / choux à la crème
A profiterole, cream puff or choux à la crème is a French dessert , crisp , hollow round choux pastry ball , that are split in halves and filled with whipped cream or ice cream and topped with ganache or chocolate sauce !!! They are very easy to make and the same choux pastry dough can be used to make eclairs , that are oblong in shape !!!
Ingredients :
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk+water ( 1/4 th cup milk+ 1/4 th cup water)
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 th cup of butter
A pinch of salt
1 tea spoon sugar
Other ingredient :
1 egg for egg wash
Whipped cream
Chocolate Sauce
Procedure :
1. Pre-heat the oven at 400 FH.
2. Boil water+milk with a pinch of salt, sugar and butter. With a spatula quickly mix the flour until everything comes together and forms a dough .
3. Immediately transfer to a bowl and beat with the electric hand beater to release some hot air . Now while luke warm, add eggs one at a time and beat very well until you get a smooth , thick mixture . Don’t add the eggs at a time or until one is completely incorporated . The consistency should be as such , so that you can spoon them on the baking tray .
4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper . You don’t have to grease them . Now pipe with piping bag or spoon them onto the baking tray . Moist your finger-tip with water and press the top slightly to smooth the top. Now brush gently with beaten egg .
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes at 400 FH , then reduce the heat to 375 FH and bake another 1o- 15 minutes or until done !!! Sit in the hot turned off oven for another 5 minutes . The puffs should be light , airy and hollow if you tap with the finger . Let them cool completely .
6. Cut the each profiterol crosswise and fill with whipped cream or ice cream and top with chocolate sauce or ganache .
Notes:
1. For Ganache ,melt the chocolate using double boiler method . Now beat with heavy cream .
2. If you want to make small batch just cut the ingredients to half , like 1 egg , 2 tbl spoon of butter , 1/4 th cup of water+milk , 1/4 th cup of flour . This cut down recipe is going to make at least 6/7 small profiterols . 🙂