Paul Hollywood Profiteroles: Choux, Cream and Chocolate

Profiteroles are small French choux pastry puffs, baked until crisp, filled with whipped cream and finished with chocolate sauce. This Paul Hollywood–style approach relies on a firm dough, thorough drying in the pan and a hot oven, so the shells rise well and leave room for filling.

Ingredients

½ cup (120 ml) water
½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
4 large eggs, about 7 ounces (200 g) without shells, lightly beaten; you may not need all of them
1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons (15 g) powdered sugar
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
4 ounces (115 g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, for the chocolate sauce

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Have a piping bag fitted with a plain ½-inch (1.25 cm) tip ready, or use a sturdy bag with its corner snipped after filling.
Put the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium until the butter has melted and the mixture comes to a full boil. Take the pan off the heat, add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains.
Return the pan to medium-low heat. Stir and press the dough around the pan for 2–3 minutes, until it forms a smooth ball and a thin film begins to appear on the pan’s base. This step dries the dough; skipping it can make the puffs flat or damp inside.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and spread it up the sides to release steam. Let it cool for 5–8 minutes, until warm rather than hot. Add the beaten egg a little at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stop when the dough is glossy and falls from the spoon in a thick V-shaped ribbon. It should hold its shape when piped; do not add egg simply to use it all.
Spoon the dough into the piping bag. Pipe 12 mounds about 1½ inches (4 cm) wide, leaving space between them. For a neater finish, smooth pointed tops with a damp fingertip. Bake for 20 minutes without opening the oven door. Reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake another 10–15 minutes, until the shells are deeply golden and feel light and dry.
Remove the tray from the oven. Make a small hole in the side or base of each puff with a skewer to let steam escape. Return them to the oven for 3–5 minutes to dry, then cool completely on a rack. A shell that is pale or soft may collapse as it cools, so give it extra drying time if needed.
For the filling, whip 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until it holds soft-to-medium peaks. Transfer to a clean piping bag fitted with a small tip. Pipe cream into each cooled puff through the steam hole. If you do not have a piping tip, split each puff carefully and spoon in the cream.
Make the sauce shortly before serving. Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Warm the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) cream in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling, pour it over the chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. If a few pieces remain, warm the bowl briefly over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring gently.
Arrange the filled profiteroles on a serving plate and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce. Serve promptly, while the shells are crisp and the sauce is fluid.

Tips

Measure flour by weight if possible. Too much flour can make choux heavy, while too much egg makes it loose and unable to hold its piped shape.
Use eggs at room temperature and add them gradually. The exact amount absorbed varies with how thoroughly the dough was dried, so follow the ribbon test rather than the quantity alone.
Keep the oven closed during the first 20 minutes. Opening it early releases heat and can cause the rising shells to sink.
For a less rich filling, replace up to half the whipped cream with chilled pastry cream. The filling will be more substantial and less airy; keep filled pastries refrigerated.

Serving Suggestions

Serve profiteroles as a plated dessert, either stacked in a small mound or arranged in a ring, with the chocolate sauce poured over at the table. A few fresh berries or a light dusting of powdered sugar adds color without competing with the pastry. For a dinner party, offer extra sauce on the side and serve the puffs soon after filling.

Variations

For coffee profiteroles, dissolve 1 teaspoon (2 g) instant espresso in the warm cream before pouring it over the chocolate. To make a caramel version, drizzle the filled puffs with cooled caramel sauce instead of chocolate. You can also fill the shells with vanilla pastry cream instead of whipped cream; pastry cream is denser and gives a more custard-like center. For a simpler finish, dust the tops with powdered sugar rather than adding sauce.

Storage and Reheating

Unfilled, fully cooled shells can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. To restore their crispness, warm them on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 5–8 minutes, then cool completely before filling. Freeze unfilled shells in a sealed freezer-safe container for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature and crisp them in the oven as above.

Filled profiteroles soften quickly and are best served within a few hours. Refrigerate them within 2 hours of filling, in a covered container, and use within 24 hours for best texture. The shells will soften in the refrigerator; do not reheat filled pastries, because the cream can warm unevenly and the texture will suffer. Store leftover chocolate sauce separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and warm it gently until pourable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my profiteroles collapse?
They may have been underbaked, insufficiently dried in the pan, or exposed to a cold draft before their structure set. Bake until deeply golden and dry, then pierce each shell and return it to the oven briefly to release steam.

Can I make the shells ahead?
Yes. Bake and cool the shells, then keep them unfilled in an airtight container for up to 1 day, or freeze them for up to 1 month. Crisp them in a low oven and cool before filling.

Can I use self-raising flour?
All-purpose flour is preferable. Self-raising flour contains added raising agents that are unnecessary in choux and can make the shells rise irregularly.

How can I tell when the dough has enough egg?
It should be smooth and glossy and fall from a spoon in a thick V-shaped ribbon. Add egg in small amounts near the end; dough that runs off the spoon or spreads on the tray is too loose.

Can I fill profiteroles without a piping bag?
Yes. Slice each cooled puff horizontally with a small serrated knife and spoon in the whipped cream. Replace the tops and drizzle with sauce just before serving.

Can I prepare the chocolate sauce in advance?
Yes. Refrigerate it in a covered container for up to 3 days. Rewarm gently in short microwave bursts or over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth; add a teaspoon or two of warm cream if it is too thick.

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