Eclair -Cream Puffs - Profiterole
Cream puffs (profiteroles) are light French pastries made from choux dough and filled with pastry cream. The basic recipe requires water, butter, flour, and eggs for the shells, plus milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch for the filling. Bake at 375°F for 27-30 minutes until golden.
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Ingredients
Batter
- 250 mil water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 100 g Butter
- 150 g 1 heaping cup flour
- 200 g 1 cup, ~4-5 eggs
Pastry Cream
- 2 1/2 cup milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tbs cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 100 g butter
- 1/4 cup chocolate chopped
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Chocolate Glaze (optional
- 200 g Chocolate
- 3 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Choux Pastry:
- In a medium saucepan, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil.250 mil water, Pinch of salt, 100 g Butter, 1 teaspoon sugar
- Lower the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and no flour streaks remain.150 g 1 heaping cup flour
- Remove from heat and continue stirring until the dough forms a smooth mass that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let it cool slightly.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the dough is smooth, glossy, and pipeable.200 g 1 cup, ~4-5 eggs
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Transfer the warm dough to a pastry bag fitted with a round or star tip. Pipe mounds of dough onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each.
- Place in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes.
- After the initial 20 minutes, rotate the tray.
- Bake for an additional 7-10 minutes, until puffed, golden brown, and firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and pierce each puff with a small knife to release steam. Cool completely before filling.
Make the Pastry Cream:
- In a saucepan, heat the milk until steaming (do not boil).2 1/2 cup milk
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar until pale white. Add and stir in the cornstarch until smooth.2 egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tbs cornstarch
- Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper it.
- Return everything to the saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens (about 10 minutes).
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla paste and incorporated the softened butter while the cream is hot and mixing with a rubber spatula until completely emulsified.1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste, 100 g butter
- Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface. Cool completely.
For the Chocolate Custard (Optional)
- For making chocolate custard place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl.
- Pour the hot custard over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.1/4 cup chocolate
- Cover with plastic wrap as above and let cool.
Assemble the Cream Puffs:
- Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small round nozzle with the pastry cream. Pipe into the side openings of each cooled puff until filled.
- Alternatively, slice the puffs in half horizontally and spoon or pipe cream into the center before replacing the tops.
- For vanilla-filled puffs, dust generously with confectioners’ sugar.1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- For chocolate-filled puffs, glaze the tops with melted chocolate (combined with the heavy cream) for a glossy finish.200 g Chocolate, 3 tablespoon heavy cream
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.
