Mum's best profiteroles

Mum's best profiteroles

Award-winning writer, Fiona Beckett, shares her recipe for the 1970's classic dessert

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Freezable

Freeze un-filled pastry

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To make the profiteroles, put the butter and 2 tsp of the caster sugar in a saucepan with 150ml water. Place the pan over a low heat until the butter and sugar have melted, then bring to the boil. Take off the heat, add the flour all at once and beat energetically with a wooden spoon until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan.
  2. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then beat in the eggs bit by bit until you have a stiff, glossy mixture (this process is much easier in a food processor). Rinse two baking trays with cold water, shaking off any excess so they are slightly damp (this helps the pastry to rise). Using 2 teaspoons, spoon blobs of the mixture onto the baking trays. Then place in the oven and cook for about 18-20 mins until well risen and brown. Remove the profiteroles from the oven and cut a small slit in the base of each one so they don't collapse. Cool on a wire rack.
  3. When they're cold, whip the cream lightly until just holding its shape. Sweeten to taste with remaining sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract. Cut the profiteroles in half, fill them with the sweetened cream and pile them up on a plate. You can refrigerate them for 1-2 hrs at this point but not for any longer as the pastry will go soggy.
  4. To make the sauce, sift the cocoa powder into a bowl. Put the sugar in a pan with 100ml water and warm over a low heat until dissolved. Bring to the boil, cook for 1 min, then pour over the cocoa powder and stir well until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan, cook for 1 min then set aside for 15 mins before drizzling over the profiteroles.

PER SERVING

564 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 51g, fat 39 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 1g, sugar 38g, salt 0.5 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Florence

    22 March 2011

    Florence rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    These profiteroles were absolutely delicious and got raving reviews from my in-laws and my husband. They are very rich, but really yummy. However the part where it says �Rinse two baking trays with cold water, shaking off any excess so they are slightly damp (this helps the pastry to rise)� did not work for me at all. I did use a non-stick tray, but they stuck rather badly. Next time I will use either a silicone sheet or baking paper. Otherwise superb recipe!

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  • Binder photo JWright

    30 March 2011

    JWright commented on this recipe

    If You Do Not Have Strong White Flour, What Could You Use Instead And How Much ?

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  • Binder photo Jodie

    03 April 2011

    Jodie rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    These where tasty but very sickening. I buttered the tray and they came off quite easily. The only problem was that there was far too much sauce!

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  • Binder photo JPooh

    05 April 2011

    JPooh commented on this recipe

    These were so light compared to shop bought!! I recieved plenty of compliments. I thought makin Choux pastry was going to be really complicated but this recipie was really easy and the end product was worth it!

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  • Binder photo Ellacado

    08 April 2011

    Ellacado commented on this recipe

    Ahhhhhhhhh Forgot to cut the slits

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  • Binder photo Ellacado

    08 April 2011

    Ellacado rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo BaronessBelle

    09 April 2011

    BaronessBelle rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • Binder photo yassmina

    08 July 2011

    yassmina rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    To get the right degree of dryness, back first for 15 min on 230 than lower temp to 160 and back for further 20 min. once done, open and leave to in cooling oven. the buns will become very crispy, but once you fill with cream, they soften again becoming heavenly.

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  • Binder photo Tinasparkle99

    12 September 2011

    Tinasparkle99 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Easy and relatively quick to make. Everybody loved them. Tweaked it slightly by dipping each profiterole into melted dark chocolate, but the cocoa sauce was delicious.

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  • Binder photo mumof3

    09 February 2012

    mumof3 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    My son wanted these as his birthday cake last year and he still talks about them. We made them together and had great fun, they are delicious but it does seem to make to much sauce. I am making these on Tuesday for valentines.

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  • Binder photo Djluckyheather

    01 July 2012

    Djluckyheather rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Easier than expected and turned out brilliant all the family loved them and were impressed. You don't as much sauce as the ingredients make though

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  • Binder photo larissawarnock

    02 July 2012

    larissawarnock commented on this recipe

    I have made these a few times now and they always please! Making them tonight to put a smile on the hubbys face!

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  • Binder photo runza

    23 July 2012

    runza rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    1st attempt at this ....verry yummy , chocolate sauce was far too much & i didnt use them all..

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  • Binder photo Rach Warwick

    14 September 2012

    Rach Warwick rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    This recipe didn't work for me at all. There's FAR too much egg so the mixture was runny and didn't rise at all. On second attempt I added less egg and they did rise, but created what we named "Profiterocks" because they were so hard.

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  • Binder photo woodycot

    28 October 2012

    woodycot rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Perfect outcome ! I made a different sauce though, 100g dark orange chocolate, juice from half an orange and 3 tbsp golden syrup. Yum, made loads extra too and have frozen them.

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  • Binder photo welshbakerchick

    25 January 2013

    welshbakerchick rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Lovely!! I made these for my brother in law's birthday treat as they are his favourite. I followed the recipe for choux buns but did my own chocolate sauce as I wanted a thickish real dark chocolate sauce. Everyone wolfed them down , even the none pudding eating family members! Recipe made 28 lovely choux buns which I filled with a piping bag and nozzle, did not cut in half. I also used whipping cream as this has a few less calories ( it all helps) Presented piled on top of each other with the warm chocolate sauce poured over was fabulous! Will definately make again as they are easy to make and impress all guests. yum yum :-)

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  • Binder photo Abbiejadeeee

    07 March 2013

    Abbiejadeeee commented on this recipe

    This recipie is s*** they didnt work at all far to much egg for the mixture, i suggest no one uses this recipie.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Freezable

Freeze un-filled pastry

Ingredients

  • 50g butter (preferably unsalted), cut into cubes
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 75g strong white flour , sifted with a pinch of fine sea salt
  • 2 eggs , lightly beaten
  • 300ml double cream
  • few drops vanilla extract

FOR THE SAUCE

  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 175g caster sugar
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PER SERVING

564 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 51g, fat 39 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 1g, sugar 38g, salt 0.5 g

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