Profiteroles au Chocolat

We’ve had friands, cupcakes, macarons and cronuts. Now surely it’s time for a re-run of that classic light-as-air pastry, the profiterole? Drizzled with hot chocolate sauce, and filled with whipped cream, they’re the perfect finale after a night at the French Film Festival – or for dessert any time. Made with small round choux pastry balls, the original meaning in both English and French is unclear, but apparently later came to mean a kind of roll ‘baked under the ashes’. You never know, profiteroles might be on the menu at The French Dinner, an indulgent pop-up event being held in Sydney on March 22nd with a 6-course degustation dinner designed by Guillaume Brahimi with matching French wines, French cabaret and secret French magic!

Inroduction

About this Recipe

By: Sheridan Rogers

We’ve had friands, cupcakes, macarons and cronuts. Now surely it’s time for a re-run of that classic light-as-air pastry, the profiterole? Drizzled with hot chocolate sauce, and filled with whipped cream, they’re the perfect finale after a night at the French Film Festival – or for dessert any time. Made with small round choux pastry balls, the original meaning in both English and French is unclear, but apparently later came to mean a kind of roll ‘baked under the ashes’. You never know, profiteroles might be on the menu at The French Dinner, an indulgent pop-up event being held in Sydney on March 22nd with a 6-course degustation dinner designed by Guillaume Brahimi with matching French wines, French cabaret and secret French magic!

Ingredients

    Choux Pastry
    • water 1 cup
    • unsalted butter 125g, cut into cubes
    • salt 1/2 teaspoon
    • sugar 1 teaspoon
    • plain flour 1 cup
    • free range or organic eggs 4
    Cream filling
    • 300ml cream
    • icing sugar 2 – 3 teaspoons
    • Grand Marnier or brandy 1 -2 tablespoons
    Chocolate Sauce
    • 70% dark chocolate 185g, broken into pieces
    • cream 1/2 cup
    • Grand Marnier or brandy 1 – 2 tablespoons

    Makes about 15 large profiteroles Place the water, butter, salt and sugar into a medium saucepan and bring slowly to the boil – make sure the butter has melted before mixture boils. Sift the flour onto greaseproof paper. As soon as mixture comes to boil, add flour all at once, using the paper as a funnel.  Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture comes away from side of the pan and begins to film bottom of the pan. Remove pan from heat and cool the paste to lukewarm.  Beat in the eggs one a time – this step is easier if you scrape mixture into food processor then add the eggs, thoroughly incorporating each one before adding the next.  It should be shiny and pliable but still stiff enough to hold its shape. If the paste is very stiff, add another egg. Pipe or shape into round puffs (for profiteroles) or long oblongs (for éclairs). Use wet hands to pat down any peaks of dough. Bake in hot oven (220degC) for 12 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate (180degC) and bake for another 15 – 25 minutes, depending on size, until golden brown and light in the hand. If pastry is becoming too brown, cover with a sheet of foil. Whisk the cream with the sugar and Grand Marnier. Make a small slit with knife in the side of each puff and pipe cream into the centre. Pile the puffs onto a serving dish, sift icing sugar over the top or drizzle with hot chocolate sauce. Chocolate Sauce:  place the chocolate in a heatproof  bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream to simmering point and pour it over the chocolate.  Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until chocolate melts and cream is absorbed, then beat in the liqueur. Alternatively, place the bowl over simmering water and stir gently until the chocolate has melted and the cream and liqueur have been absorbed. The chocolate should be smooth and glossy.