Monday 14 July 2008

Perfect profiteroles


I've been so bad not posting for the last 2 weeks and after the amazing reponse I had to my Daring Bakers Challenge, very exciting getting 50 comments and every time I got a new one I was emailing my husband at work to tell him!! I'm sure he was thinking how easily amused I am but what can ya do?!?!?!

So last weekend we were in London for our second wedding anniversary (we ate in the Jamie Oliver restuarant (meh! not that it was bad I was just slightly non-plussed and I really like Jamie's books and programmes) and had the most fantastic brunch here in Covent Garden, and this weekend we were at an engagement party for some friends who got engaged on a Caribbean cruise, with the most perfect amazingly romantic proposal, so congrats to S&E we are so thrilled for you!!!

The day before we went to London I was craving profiteroles, every since I made the profiteroles with the honey orange cream and cardamom icing I've been thinking about the texture of the choux pastry and the gorgeous flavours but seeing as my sister was coming for these I stuck to the traditional profiterole and filled them with sweetened cream and topped them with the most amazing chocolate sauce I got from m&s.


These were fantastic, light pastry and they cooked so well, I used a different recipe to the one I used for HHDD#20 and to be honest I preferred this one, it was slightly sweet and thicker than the one I made for HHDD. I used a recipe from a chef whose pretty big in the UK, James Martin, I have his Desserts book and am falling back in love with it. I made some desserts from it at christmas and wasn't impressed at all but I've tried a couple of different things since then an got the mille feuille idea from my last post from browsing his book and he is rising in my estimation again after me being sorely disappointed with him at Christmas.

So anyway, enough rambling here y'all are to make 24 generous sized profiteroles or 16 eclairs:

125ml milk
100g butter that's been cut into little cubes
3g fine salt
g caster sugar (I used golden caster sugar)
150g flour, sifted
4 medium eggs

Preheat the oven to Gas 7/220.
Put the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar into a saucepan and heat over a high heat for 1 minute stirring all the time. Take the pan off the heat and add the flour stirring all the time until the mixture is smooth.
When the mixture is smooth put the pan back on the heat and stir for another minute. (The paste will poach and the water will evaporate but make sure not to let it dry out too much or it will crack when it's cooking). Add the eggs one by one mixing each one in before you add the next egg stirring well until the mixture is smoothe and silky.
Spoon the mix into a piping bag and pipe the choux into whatever you are making profiteroles or eclair. Use a finger dipped in water to smoothe tops of your profiteroles.
When you are putting the choux into the oven throw a cup of water into a heated baking tray, this will create steam and help the choux to rise. Open the door after about 5 mins to allow the steam to escape and wedge the door open open a small ammount.
Cook for 10-20 mins depending on how big your profiteroles are or until golden brown. Mine took about 20-25 mins but my oven may have been open a but much.


Fill will cream either using a piping bag or cut the choux in half and spoon in, top with melted chocolate or in my case gorgeous rich chocolate sauce. Enjoy!!!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy anniversary! Sure you're still newly-weds! :)

I made profiteroles for the first time a few months ago and could not believe how simple it was. I generally hate pastry and it hates me, but choux pastry is way easy. I also made a savoury version with cream cheese, smoked salmon, lemon zest, salt and pepper and scallions with a bit of creme fraich to thin it out. Divine!

Looks wonderful, will be checking M&S for that sauce!

Helene said...

You can be newlyweds for a lifetime if you want, we try to!
The profiteroles turned out beautiful! It is one of my go-to desserts when I have unexpected guests...wish I had a few right now!

Anonymous said...

Happy Anniversary Rachel!!

Those profiteroles look amazing, well done :)

lorraine@italianfoodies said...

Auguri Rach:) These look fab but I'm still dreaming of those strawberry mille feuille, mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Anonymous said...

I LOVE profiteroles!!!
Yum.. don't put any in front of me or i'll eat them ALL! :-)

Unknown said...

these DO look absolutely perfect, rachel! i just adore profiteroles...such perfect mouthfuls of dessert!

Kate said...

Congrats on your anniversary.

These look really good - there really are a lot of flavour combinations once you start thinking about it although standard vanilla custard and toffe always works for me too!!

Anonymous said...

Happy anniversary Rachel!

I've been wanting to make profiteroles for a while now - these look rather scrumptious :-) My cooking-obsessed friend is coming to stay in August and she's expressed a desire for them as well. Think I feel a profiterole party coming on...

Rhyleysgranny said...

I made profiteroles years ago and they were a disaster. I have been afraid since. Your's look wonderful I just may have another go. I like your little tips and tricks too.
xxx

The Caked Crusader said...

That first photo should be illegal for crimes against the waistline!

Cannelle Et Vanille said...

lovely profiteroles rachel... hmm... i'm craving some now!

Anonymous said...

Going to try and make these, but just wonder what the exact measurement is for the sugar??

Rachel@fairycakeheaven said...

Anon that would be 5g caster sugar, apologies didn't realise I'd missed out on the measurement. It's just a tiny ammount of sugar to barely sweeten the choux. Good luck let me know how you get ont

Anonymous said...

Thanks, making them next week for engagement party so hopefully they turn out ok. Years since I have made profiteroles!!