Morrisons Profiteroles Dessert: Make It at Home

A Morrisons profiteroles dessert is a chilled pudding of crisp choux pastry puffs filled with cream and covered in chocolate sauce. This homemade version recreates the familiar supermarket-style treat with simple ingredients, and lets you serve the puffs freshly filled so they stay light.

Ingredients

½ cup (120 ml) water
½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, divided
7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (125 g) plain all-purpose flour, sifted
3 large eggs (about 150 g without shells), at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, cold
2 tablespoons (15 g) powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces (115 g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
⅓ cup (80 ml) heavy cream for the sauce

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C), or 375°F (190°C) for a fan oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Put the water, ½ cup (120 ml) milk, butter, granulated sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat until the butter has melted and the liquid comes to a full boil.
Take the pan off the heat and tip in all the flour at once. Stir firmly with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and the dough forms a smooth ball. Return the pan to low heat and stir for 1–2 minutes to dry the dough slightly; a thin film may form on the pan’s base.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and leave it for about 5 minutes, until warm rather than piping hot. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. The finished dough should be glossy and thick, and fall from the spoon in a slow V shape. You may not need every drop of egg; stop if the dough is already soft enough to pipe.
Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a plain ½-inch (1.25 cm) tip, or use a sturdy food bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe 18 mounds about 1½ inches (4 cm) wide onto the lined tray, leaving space between them. Smooth any pointed tops with a damp fingertip.
Bake for 25–30 minutes without opening the oven door during the first 20 minutes. The puffs should be well risen, golden and dry-looking. Make a small hole in the side or base of each puff with a skewer, then return them to the oven for 3–5 minutes to dry the centers. Cool completely on a rack. The choux pastry contains eggs, but it is baked until set; no separate thermometer check is needed for this pastry.
For the filling, whip the cold 1 cup (240 ml) cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until it holds firm peaks. Spoon it into a clean piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a little cream into the hole in each cooled puff, stopping when each feels heavier but not so full that it splits. If you do not have a piping bag, slice each puff horizontally and spoon in the cream.
Make the sauce shortly before serving. Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the remaining ⅓ cup (80 ml) cream in a small saucepan until steaming, with tiny bubbles at the edge; do not let it boil. Pour it over the chocolate, leave for 2 minutes, then stir gently until smooth. If needed, warm the bowl briefly over a pan of barely simmering water.
Arrange the filled puffs in a shallow serving dish or on individual plates. Pour the warm chocolate sauce over them and serve promptly. For a more traditional presentation, pile the puffs into a small mound before coating them.

Tips

Measure the flour accurately, and add egg gradually. Too much egg makes the dough loose, so the puffs can spread instead of rising.
Keep the oven door shut while the pastry rises. Opening it early can let out heat and cause the puffs to collapse.
Drying the baked puffs after making a small vent helps prevent a damp center. Let them cool completely before adding cream, or the filling will soften and melt.
For a shortcut, use ready-made profiteroles and warm chocolate sauce, but follow the pack’s storage and defrosting directions. The homemade version has a fresher pastry texture and lets you control the sweetness.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the profiteroles as a shared dessert after dinner, or arrange three puffs per person on chilled plates and spoon over the sauce at the table. A few berries or sliced strawberries add a tart contrast to the sweet cream and chocolate. For a simple finish, dust the plate lightly with powdered sugar, keeping it off the sauce so the glossy topping remains visible.

If making a platter, leave the sauce separate until just before serving. This keeps the pastry crisp for longer and allows guests to add as much chocolate as they like. The recipe makes about 18 puffs, or three per person for six servings.

Variations

For a lighter chocolate topping, use milk chocolate in place of dark chocolate; the sauce will be sweeter and less intense. You can also replace the vanilla cream with 1 cup (240 ml) crème pâtissière for a richer, custard-filled version. Chill the custard completely before piping it into the puffs.

To make a coffee-chocolate sauce, dissolve 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder in the hot cream before pouring it over the chocolate. For a nutty finish, scatter 2 tablespoons (15 g) finely chopped toasted hazelnuts over the sauce just before serving. Avoid adding toppings long in advance, as they can soften or slide off the chocolate.

Storage and Reheating

Filled profiteroles are best eaten soon after assembly. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator within 2 hours of filling, and eat within 24 hours; the choux softens as it absorbs moisture from the cream. Keep the sauce and unfilled pastry separate if preparing ahead. Refrigerate the whipped cream and chocolate sauce in covered containers, and use the cream within 2 days.

Unfilled, cooled choux puffs keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To refresh room-temperature puffs, bake at 300°F (150°C) for 5–8 minutes, then cool fully before filling. Thaw frozen puffs and refresh them in the same way. Do not reheat filled profiteroles; warm sauce separately over low heat or in short microwave bursts, stirring between bursts. Refrigerate all perishable components promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make profiterole shells ahead?
Yes. Bake the shells a day ahead and store them unfilled in an airtight container. If they have softened, refresh them briefly in a low oven and cool completely before piping in the cream.

Why did my profiteroles collapse?
They may have been underbaked, the oven door may have opened too early, or the dough may have contained too much egg. Bake until deeply golden and dry, then pierce and return the shells to the oven so steam can escape.

Can I fill them without a piping bag?
Yes. Slice each cooled puff across the middle with a small serrated knife and spoon in the whipped cream. Replace the top and pour on the sauce; the result is less tidy but just as practical to serve.

Can I use store-bought profiteroles?
Yes. Follow the package instructions for thawing or serving, and add homemade chocolate sauce shortly before eating. Check the product label for allergens and any specific storage directions.

Can I make these without dark chocolate?
Use milk chocolate for a sweeter sauce, or use white chocolate with care: reduce the cream to about ¼ cup (60 ml), since white chocolate is softer and can make a loose sauce. Warm gently and stir until smooth.

Can I freeze filled profiteroles?
Freezing is not recommended for this whipped-cream filling because it can become grainy or watery after thawing, and the pastry may turn soggy. Freeze the unfilled shells instead, then thaw, refresh and fill them close to serving.

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