Name: Chocolate Profiteroles
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 250 ml of Water; 150 g of All Purpose Flour; 100 g of Butter; 5 Eggs; 1 pinch of Table Salt; 1 Egg Yolk; 300 g of Whipping Cream; 100 g of Powdered Sugar; 1 Vanilla Bean; 300 g of Dark Chocolate; 300 g of Whipping Cream; 30 g of Butter

Chocolate profiteroles (also spelled profiterol or profitteroles in Italy) are a very special dessert: a pyramid of cream puffs filled with Chantilly cream, covered with a generous layer of chocolate cream and tufts of whipped cream.

The recipe for chocolate profiteroles was one of the most popular of the 1980s, when this rich dessert was the king of sweets at a restaurant dinner or a special dinner with friends. Unlike classic profiteroles, in this version the topping for the chocolate profiteroles is made with a luscious chocolate ganache for profiteroles, which can be made with regular chocolate or, if you like, with white chocolate for wonderful white chocolate profiteroles.

For perfect chocolate profiteroles we recommend a whipped chocolate ganache, a soft chocolate cream for profiteroles, which is not only creamier and silkier but also lighter in color and more inviting than a classic dark chocolate ganache.

So if you are wondering how to make chocolate profiteroles, how to make white chocolate profiteroles or how to make the cream for profiteroles, this is the recipe for you.

Ingredients for 10 people

For the cream puffs:

250 ml of Water

150 g of All Purpose Flour

100 g of Butter

5 Eggs medium

1 pinch of Table Salt

1 Egg Yolk

For the Chantilly cream:

300 g of Whipping Cream

100 g of Powdered Sugar

1 Vanilla Bean

For the chocolate ganache:

300 g of Dark Chocolate (60-65%)

300 g of Whipping Cream

30 g of Butter

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Method

To make the chocolate profiteroles, start with the cream puffs: put the water, butter and pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and, as soon as you see the first bubbles and the butter has completely melted, immediately lower the heat and add the flour all at once.

Chocolate Profiteroles, step 1: water, butter and salt in a saucepan with the flour

Stir right away with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, compact dough. Work it in a bowl for a few seconds so it cools, then start adding the eggs one at a time. Mix in the first egg well, and only when it has been fully absorbed add the second, and so on until you have added all the eggs.

Chocolate Profiteroles, step 2: the dough stirred with a wooden spoon

Chocolate Profiteroles, step 2: adding the eggs to the dough one at a time

When you have a thick choux pastry, almost like pastry cream but glossier and firmer, let it rest uncovered for about 30 minutes. After resting, transfer some of the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a wide 12-13 mm (1/2 in) plain tip.

Chocolate Profiteroles, step 3: the thick, glossy choux pastry

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe the dough into mounds 3-4 cm (about 1 1/2 in) across, spacing them at least 4 cm (1 1/2 in) apart. With the back of a lightly moistened spoon, flatten the little peaks of dough.

Chocolate Profiteroles, step 4: choux mounds piped onto a lined baking sheet

Beat an egg yolk with a little water and, once well beaten, lightly brush the cream puffs with a pastry brush. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 200 °C (400 °F) for 25 minutes; then, when they are puffed and nicely golden, lower the temperature to 180 °C (350 °F) for another 5-10 minutes.

Chocolate Profiteroles, step 5: cream puffs brushed with egg yolk

When the cream puffs are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool on a wire rack. Move on to the whipped chocolate ganache: heat the fresh cream in a small saucepan and, when it is hot (but NOT boiling), add the finely chopped dark chocolate and the butter and whisk well.

Chocolate Profiteroles, step 6: the baked cream puffs

Chocolate Profiteroles, step 6: chocolate and butter melted into the hot cream

Once the ingredients are well combined, remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. When it is cold, whip the ganache with an electric mixer for a few seconds, stopping as soon as you see the cream turn slightly lighter in color. Don’t overwhip it, or it will lose its creaminess.

Chocolate Profiteroles, step 7: the whipped chocolate ganache

Now make the Chantilly cream: put the fresh whipping cream, half the powdered sugar and the seeds from the vanilla bean in a bowl and whip. While the cream is whipping, gradually add the rest of the sugar.

Chocolate Profiteroles, step 8: whipping the Chantilly cream

Fill the cream puffs with the Chantilly cream using a pastry bag fitted with a thin plain tip. Using a fork, dip the cream puffs in the ganache, letting the excess drip off, then place them on a wire rack.