Chocolate and cream profiteroles

A classic French dessert featuring light, airy profiteroles filled with smooth cream and elegantly drizzled with rich chocolate and pistachio sauces. These delicate pastry puffs offer a perfect balance of crisp shell, creamy filling, and decadent sauces that make for an irresistible sweet treat.

By Ravneet Gill
From Saturday Kitchen

This dessert is high in calories, sugars, and fats, resulting in a less favourable nutritional profile. Enjoy in moderation as an occasional treat. (Nutri-score)

Equipment

• Large saucepan
• Stand mixer or electric hand-held whisk
• Piping bags with 1cm/½in plain round nozzle
• Baking trays
• Baking paper
• Wire rack
• Small saucepans for sauces
• Jug for pouring sauces
• Large serving plate or platter

Ingredients

For the choux pastry

• Full-fat milk – 150ml/5fl oz
• Unsalted butter – 150g/5½oz
• Caster sugar – 1 tbsp
• Fine salt – 1 tsp
• Strong white flour – 170g/5¾oz
• Free-range eggs – 5–6, lightly beaten
• Demerara sugar – 25g/1oz

For the cream filling

• Double cream – 600ml/20fl oz
• Caster sugar – 20g/¾oz
• Vanilla bean paste – 1 tsp
• Sea salt flakes – pinch

For the chocolate sauce

• Dark chocolate – 250g/9oz, minimum 70% cocoa solids, roughly chopped
• Runny honey – 60g/2¼oz
• Sea salt flakes – pinch

For the pistachio sauce

• White chocolate – 150g/5½oz
• Pistachio paste – 20g/1oz
• Double cream – 50ml/2fl oz
• Sea salt flakes – pinch
• Pistachios – 40g/1½ oz, roughly chopped (optional)

Method

Prepare the Choux Pastry

• Combine 150ml water, milk, butter, caster sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
• Add flour all at once when mixture comes to a rolling boil. Mix vigorously until it comes away from the sides of the pan.
• Stir for a few minutes over medium heat, then remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Cover with cling film or baking paper touching the mixture. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes.
• Add eggs gradually, mixing well after each addition until the mixture reaches a dropping consistency.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
• Line three baking trays with baking paper.
• Pipe 4cm/1½in rounds onto the baking trays, leaving space between them.
• Sprinkle the tops with demerara sugar.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and bake for 10-12 minutes more.
• Create a hole in the base of each bun and cool on a wire rack.

Make the Cream Filling

• Whip cream with sugar, vanilla, and salt until it reaches soft peaks.
• Transfer to a piping bag with a 1cm/½in round nozzle.
• Fill each choux bun through the hole in the base.
• Chill filled buns in the fridge for up to 3-4 hours.

Prepare the Sauces

• For chocolate sauce: Gently heat chocolate, 180ml water, honey, and salt in a saucepan until melted and smooth.
• For pistachio sauce: Slowly heat white chocolate, pistachio paste, cream, and salt in a small saucepan until melted.

Assemble the Dessert

• Stack filled choux buns on a large serving plate or platter.
• Pour chocolate and pistachio sauces over the stack.
• Sprinkle with chopped pistachios if using.
• Serve and enjoy immediately.

Nutri-score Health Check

This choux pastry dessert scores a Nutri-Score of E, indicating it’s in the least healthy category. The high content of saturated fats from butter and cream, combined with added sugars from the pastry and sauces, contributes to this score. While it’s a delicious treat, it should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. To improve the score, consider reducing portion sizes or incorporating healthier ingredients like fresh fruits. Remember, this score has been automatically calculated from the ingredients in the recipe and is only a guide.

Recipe FAQ

• Can I make the choux buns in advance? Yes, you can make the unfilled choux buns a day ahead and store them in an airtight container.
• How long will the filled choux buns keep? Once filled, they’re best eaten within 24 hours to maintain their texture.
• Can I freeze the choux buns? You can freeze unfilled choux buns for up to 3 months. Thaw and crisp them in the oven before filling.
• What if I don’t have pistachio paste? You can substitute with almond paste or omit it for a plain white chocolate sauce.
• Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate for the sauce? Yes, but the sauce will be sweeter and less intense in flavor.
• How do I know when the choux pastry is the right consistency? It should fall from the spoon in a V-shape and hold its shape when piped.
• What if my choux buns deflate after baking? This usually happens if they’re underbaked. Ensure they’re golden and feel light before removing from the oven.
• Can I make this dessert dairy-free? It’s challenging to make this recipe dairy-free due to the high dairy content, but you could experiment with plant-based alternatives.
• How many servings does this recipe make? This depends on the size of your choux buns, but typically it serves 8-10 people.
• Can I add other flavors to the cream filling? Absolutely! Try adding coffee extract, fruit purees, or liqueurs for different flavour variations.
• What’s the best way to store leftover sauces? Store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a week. Gently reheat before using.