European Profiteroles

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 200 ml cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
• 85 g butter
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 115 g plain flour
• 4 medium eggs, beaten
• 600 ml double cream
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 15 g butter
• 4 tablespoons water
• 175 g good quality chocolate, broken into pieces

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400f degrees.
• 2 to make the pastry, place the butter, water and sugar into a large saucepan.
• 3 mix together the flour and salt; set aside.
• 4 melt the butter over a low heat; increase the heat and all at once add the flour and salt; remove from the heat and quickly beat the mixture until a smooth paste is formed, stirring continuously to dry out the paste.
• 5 once the paste comes away from the side of the pan, put it into a large bowl and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
• 6 beat in the eggs, a little at a time, mixing briskly until the paste is smooth and shiny; continue adding the egg until the mixture is a soft dropping consistency. you don’t always have to use all the egg. the mixture will be shiny and smooth and will fall from a spoon if it is given a sharp jerk.
• 7 lightly oil a large baking tray. dip a teaspoonful into some warm water and spoon out a teaspoon of the profiterole mixture. dip your finger into warm water and rub the top of the mixture then spoon on to the baking tray. this gives it a more a crisper topping.
• 8 bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown, if too lightly colored they will become soggy when cool.
• 9 remove from the oven and poke a hole the bottom of each profiterole. place onto the baking tray with the hole facing upwards and put back into the oven for 5 minutes to dry the inside of the profiteroles.
• 10 to make the filling: lightly whip the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form. make sure you do not over whip!
• 11 when the profiteroles are cold, using a decorator bag (or a freezer bag with the end tip cut) and a plain nozzle, squeeze the cream into the holes of the profiteroles. if you cannot find a freezer bag you can spoon in the cream with a small spoon.
• 12 make the chocolate sauce by melting the chocolate with the water and butter over a double boiler or a pan of low boiling water. stir gently until smooth and glossy, but do not allow to boil.
• 13 allow chocolate to cool slightly.
• 14 built the profiteroles on a serving dish and pour over the chocolate sauce.
• 15 savour the luxury!