Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce

I recently made these Profiteroles with chocolate sauce
from the Real Living Magazine July 2010 Issue.


I made my own custard (with custard powder) as I don't like the store bought variety.

Sooooooo easy and just DELICIOUS. One of my favourites!

INGREDIENTS

Makes 24
Prep time 30 mins
Cooking time 35 mins
Resting time 10 mins

Choux pastry
75g butter, chopped
½ cup water
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp caster sugar
Pinch salt
¾ cup plain flour, sieved
3 eggs

Chocolate sauce
75g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped roughly
½ cup cream
½ tbsp butter

Pastry cream
300ml thickened cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1½ cups packaged thick custard

METHOD

1. Make profiteroles Preheat oven to 210°C (190°C fan-forced). Line baking tray with baking paper.


2. In saucepan over medium heat, bring butter, water, milk, sugar and salt to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 min until dough comes away from sides of pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.


3. Using wooden spoon, beat eggs into dough mix one at a time, ensuring the first is fully incorporated before adding the next. Spoon mixture into piping bag fitted with 1cm nozzle and pipe onto lined tray in 3cm balls, leaving a few centimeters between each ball to allow them to puff. Wet your finger with water and gently press down peaks of each profiterole for a rounder result.


4. Bake for 25 mins, turn oven off and allow to rest for 10 mins or until golden, puffed and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Poke a hole in base of each profiterole big enough to accommodate 3mm piping bag nozzle. Profiteroles can be prepared to this stage a day ahead before cooling completely and storing overnight in airtight container. Simply heat them in 200°C oven (180°C fan-forced) for 3 mins to slightly re-crisp outside just before filling with pastry cream.


5. Make chocolate sauce In small saucepan over low heat combine chocolate, cream and butter. Heat for 5 mins, stirring continuously until chocolate is melted and sauce is combined. Remove from heat and set aside. This can also be prepared a day ahead up to this point, and covered and refrigerated. When ready to serve, gently reheat over low heat until warm and glossy.


6. Make pastry cream In bowl place thickened cream and vanilla and beat until thickened. Add custard and beat to just combine. Spoon into piping bag fitted with 3mm nozzle.


7. Fill each profiterole with pastry cream through hole made earlier. Place 4 profiteroles on each serving plate and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce. Serve. Bon appétit!