Profiteroles Recipe Mary Berry

PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan combine the water, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the flour all at once and stir it vigorously with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture has formed a ball and has a slightly sweaty sheen to it and it has pulled away from the pan. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and let cool for 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture does not have to be cold, just cool enough not to cook the eggs when added. Using an electric mixer or lots of good old-fashioned elbow grease, beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Do not add the second egg until the first is fully incorporated. Add in the cinnamon and beat for another second to combine.
• Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag equipped with a large straight tip and pipe 1-inch balls onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. When done dip your finger in water and smooth the top of each ball where the pastry bag released the dough. Be sure to leave at least 1-inch between each of the balls. They grow! Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through the cooking time to insure even cooking. When done, the puffs should be light, airy and dry inside. Cool on a rack.
• When ready to serve, cut in half horizontally and fill with ice cream of your choosing. (I prefer a really high-quality vanilla.) Top with warm Chocolate Sauce.
• Bring a saucepan with 1-inch of water to a boil. Put the chocolate in a metal or heatproof glass mixing bowl and place on top of the saucepan with boiling water. Pay careful attention that the mixing bowl does not touch the surface of the boiling water. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until the chocolate has melted and everything is combined. This is a pretty quick process, once the chocolate has melted remove it from the double boiler set up. Spoon over the filled profiteroles. This is best when served warm!

PROFITEROLES WITH CRèME PâTISSIèRE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Lightly grease two baking trays.
• To make the pastry, put the butter and 150ml/5fl oz water in a small pan. Heat gently until the butter has melted. Bring slowly to the boil, and then remove from the heat. Quickly add the plain flour and, using a wooden spoon, beat until the mixture forms a soft ball. Return to the heat and beat for a further minute.
• Leave to cool slightly. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, mixing well between each addition until you have a smooth pipeable mixture. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in plain nozzle. Pipe 20 small mounds onto the prepared baking trays, leaving room for them to spread. Flick water over the tray to create steam when baking.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Cook for a further 10 minutes, or until well-risen and a deep golden-brown. Remove and make a hole in the bottom of the buns to allow the steam to escape. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
• For the filling, put the milk and vanilla extract in a heavy-based pan and slowly bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 30 seconds.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale, then whisk in the cornflour and plain flour. Pour the vanilla-infused milk over the eggs, whisking continuously, then pour back into the pan.
• Bring to the boil, whisking continuously over a medium heat and cook for one minute, or until thickened. Add a dash of red food colouring and stir thoroughly until it has an even colour. Pour into a bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to the fridge to chill.
• For the the icing, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Add the butter and 4 tablespoons water. When the chocolate is melted and well combined with the butter, remove it from the heat and beat in the icing sugar until smooth.
• When the profiteroles are cold, spoon the red crème patissiere into a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle. Fill the profiteroles then dip each one into the icing to coat the top. Leave to set, then serve.

PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. In 2 1/2-quart saucepan, heat water and 1/2 cup butter to rolling boil. Stir in flour. Reduce heat to low; stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat.
• Beat in eggs, all at once, with spoon. Continue beating until smooth. Drop dough by level tablespoonfuls about 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets to make 36 profiteroles.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool away from draft, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in half-and-half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and the vanilla.
• Pour filling into bowl. Press plastic wrap on filling to prevent a tough layer from forming on top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until cool.
• Cut puffs horizontally in half. Fill puffs with filling; replace tops. Sift powdered sugar over tops. Cover; refrigerate until serving. Serve drizzled with chocolate topping. Store remaining profiteroles covered in refrigerator.

PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To make the profiteroles, put the butter and 2 tsp of the caster sugar in a saucepan with 150ml water. Place the pan over a low heat until the butter and sugar have melted, then bring to the boil. Take off the heat, add the flour all at once and beat energetically with a wooden spoon until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan.
• Leave to cool for 5 mins, then beat in the eggs bit by bit until you have a stiff, glossy mixture (this process is much easier in a food processor). Rinse two baking trays with cold water, shaking off any excess so they are slightly damp (this helps the pastry to rise). Using 2 teaspoons, spoon blobs of the mixture onto the baking trays. Then place in the oven and cook for about 18-20 mins until well risen and brown. Remove the profiteroles from the oven and cut a small slit in the base of each one so they don't collapse. Cool on a wire rack.
• When they're cold, whip the cream lightly until just holding its shape. Sweeten to taste with remaining sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract. Cut the profiteroles in half, fill them with the sweetened cream and pile them up on a plate. You can refrigerate them for 1-2 hrs at this point but not for any longer as the pastry will go soggy.
• To make the sauce, sift the cocoa powder into a bowl. Put the sugar in a pan with 100ml water and warm over a low heat until dissolved. Bring to the boil, cook for 1 min, then pour over the cocoa powder and stir well until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan, cook for 1 min then set aside for 15 mins before drizzling over the profiteroles.

PROFITEROLES WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the cream and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until bubbles appear around the sides of the pot, but do not allow the cream to boil. Mix in the chocolate and vanilla; remove from the heat and stir until the chocolate melts and the sauce is smooth. May be served warm or chilled.;
• Profiteroles: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• To make the pate a choux: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring to melt the butter completely. Add all the flour and baking powder at once and continue to stir until all the flour is incorporated and the dough becomes a mass that pulls away from the sides of the pot. Remove from the heat and scrape the dough into a mixing bowl. Using a standing or hand-held mixer, beat the dough on medium speed to cool it off a bit. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. When all eggs have been incorporated, the dough should be a thick, smooth, and glossy paste.
• Form 24 golf ball-size mounds on the lined baking sheet about 2-inches apart allowing room for them to spread; keep the mounds as high and round as possible. You can use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip or a large spoon, your choice. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and continue to cook for 25 minutes. Do not open the oven door or remove the pans from the oven until the puffs are firm to the touch. The profiteroles should be golden brown and well-risen. Allow the shells to cool before filling.
• Using a serrated knife, slice the pastry puffs almost in 1/2. Place 3 profiteroles on each dessert plate and fill with a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the top; garnish with powdered sugar and fresh mint if desired.