Easter Chocolate Profiteroles Recipe

These are perfect to bake for your Easter celebrations or over the holidays.

Easter Chocolate Profiteroles

Preparation Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 40

Ingredients

For the choux pastry:

• 1 cup water
• 1 tbs white sugar
• Pinch of salt 
• 100g unsalted butter
• 1 cup strong plain flour (has a higher protein content, also called bread flour)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

For the creamy custard filling:

• 4 egg yolks (NB: reserve the whites for another recipe)
• ¼ cup castor sugar
• 4 tbs McKenzie’s Cornflour
• 600ml full cream milk
• ¼ cup (extra) castor sugar (this is added to the milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate sauce (ganache):

• 250g dark chocolate (milk chocolate is also suitable)
• 1 cup thickened cream

Method

To make pastry cases:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (fan forced), grease and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Place water, sugar, salt, and butter into a saucepan over medium heat and stir to melt the butter. When the water is starting to boil, remove the saucepan from the stove and add the flour all in one go. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon and when the flour has absorbed the water, return the pan to the stove.
3. Cook the dough 1-2 minutes (over medium heat) stirring until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. The dough will be thick enough to hold up a regular tablespoon. If the tablespoon falls, cook for a further 1 minute).
4. Transfer the dough into a bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and then with a hand-held mixer, mix the dough while adding the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Place dough into a piping bag (or use a teaspoon) and pipe or spoon 2 teaspoons of dough, 5cm apart on each tray. (NB: with a damp finger, flatten the peaks on any of the profiteroles, this will give each one a nice, rounded shape).
6. Bake 2 trays at a time for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, prick each shell with a skewer, and return to the oven to dry out for another 5-7 minutes while baking.
7. Remove from the oven, transfer to a rack, and allow to cool down completely before filling them with custard and drizzling them with chocolate sauce.

To make custard filling:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, then add cornflour.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add milk, sugar, and vanilla and heat until it starts to simmer.
3. Slowly add this hot milk mixture to the egg and sugar mixture whisking well between each addition. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and whisk continuously until the mixture thickens into a thick custard consistency.
4. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl, and press cling wrap into the surface to stop it from skinning over. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until set.
5. Spoon custard into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle and fill each profiterole with the custard.

To make the chocolate sauce (ganache):

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate and cream. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time (4 x times) stirring in between until well combined and a smooth consistency for dipping. 

Assemble:

1. Dip each profiterole into the chocolate sauce. For an extra Easter treat, top each one with a small chocolate egg.
2. Best consumed on the same day as baking.

Tip: all-purpose plain flour can be used to make profiteroles. This recipe suggests using a strong bread flour, this is simply plain flour with a higher protein content that will give the profiterole shell more strength.