Profiteroles are small balls of choux pastry filled with any filling: pate, cream, whipped cream or boiled condensed milk. They can be served as an appetizer or dessert. Despite the apparent complexity, the delicacy is easy to prepare at home.
Step by step dough preparation
Profiteroles are a popular dish that comes from French cuisine. Small balls of choux pastry turn into hollow spheres with a crunchy shell that melts in the mouth during baking. Such products are good for buffets and banquets, but they can also be prepared for home tea drinking. To do this, you do not need to be a highly qualified cook - any housewife can handle the process.
The key to success is the exact adherence to the recipe. The first attempt may be unsuccessful, but in time everything will work out. The recipe is universal - the resulting tiny balls can be supplemented with both dessert and savory filling. It is better to bake the blanks in advance, and stuff the products just before serving. This will help keep the profiteroles from getting soaked, the contrast between the juicy contents and the airy crispy shell will be more pronounced.
Ingredients:
- 200 g of premium wheat flour;
- 5-7 eggs;
- 180 ml of water;
- 100 g butter (fat content not less than 72%);
- a pinch of salt.
Put oil in a saucepan with a thick bottom, pour in water. Place the container on the stove and heat until the butter melts. The fire should be moderate. When the mixture boils, add the pre-sifted flour and salt, stirring vigorously with a spoon or spatula. After 5-7 minutes, you will get a thick, dense dough.
Remove the saucepan from the stove and cool the mixture slightly. Add the eggs one by one, whisking the dough with a hand mixer. Professionals use an ordinary spatula, but the mixer will simplify and speed up the work. This is the most important part of the process and requires carefulness and care. The finished choux pastry should be bright yellow, smooth and shiny.
Baking and filling
In order for the products to acquire a beautiful shape, it is better to deposit them with a pastry syringe or bag. If not, you can use a dessert spoon. Before taking the next portion of the dough, it is dipped in cold water.
Line a baking sheet with baking paper or oil. During baking, the dough greatly increases in volume, so the pieces are placed at a distance from each other. Place the baking sheet in an oven heated to 200 degrees, bake for 20 minutes, making sure that the products do not burn. After 20 minutes, turn off the oven and let the profiteroles dry in the heat for another 10 minutes. Then remove them from the baking sheet onto a wooden board and cool.
You can stuff profiteroles snacks with salad, pate, mushroom julienne, cheese mixed with mayonnaise. The thick filling is laid with a spoon, after cutting each product in the lower part.
For dessert eclairs, custard, butter or curd cream, whipped cream, boiled condensed milk are suitable. To prevent the filling from leaking out, you can place it inside the profiteroles using a pastry syringe, making a small puncture on the side. Sprinkle with icing sugar on top, cover with icing sugar or melted chocolate: dark, white, milk.
