Profiteroles

A deliciously sweet recipe for the best profiteroles with cream cheese filling. You will fall in love with these but they do take some practice to get them right. But don't worry, they are so worth it!

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Put the butter into the saucepan and wait until it is almost fully melted.

Step 2

Pour in the water and wait for it to come to a simmer. Use a wooden spoon to mix

Step 3

Then quickly pour the flour in with a pinch of salt and mix quickly with the wooden spoon until combined. It should come together as a dough ball.

Step 4

Leave it on the heat for a few more minutes until a sort of film forms on the bottom of the saucepan.

Step 5

Transfer the dough ball into a big bowl and spread it along the sides to increase surface area so that it cools quicker.

Step 6

When it's cooled, add in the eggs one by one and use a whisk or electric hand beater to combine it. It should resemble mashed potatoes and have a paste-like consistency.

Step 7

Prepare a baking tray, put a bit of oil onto it and place the baking paper on top so that it stays in place. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C.

Step 8

There are 2 methods I recommend to use for the profiteroles. 1. I like this one best. It's the 2-teaspoon method, scoop a bit of dough back and forth between 2 teaspoons to make a roundish shape and place it in the baking tray. Or ->

Step 9

2. Use a piping bag to make blobs of dough onto the baking tray. Make sure you don't lift the piping bag too much or use it at an angle because that will create air pockets that will then make your profiteroles oddly shaped when baked.

Step 10

Get a cup of water, dip your fingers into it and pat down the peaks of the dough and try smooth it out so it's neat and round. This will make your profiteroles grow nicer.

Step 11

Just before placing the profiteroles in the oven, flick some water over the tray. This will help them rise nicely. Put them into the preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. When the time goes off they should be pale gold and crispy looking.

Step 12

Change the temperature of the oven to 160°C Fan/180°C. Take the profiteroles out of the oven and quickly with a sharp knife, cut a hole in the side bottom of each profiterole. Than place it back into the oven for 5-7 minutes. This is to dry the inside of the profiteroles. They should be golden brown when ready.

Step 13

Remove from the oven and let them cool. Meanwhile, make the filling. Beat the double cream in a large bowl until almost stiff peaks form.

Step 14

Add in the mascarpone and mix until combined. Then add in vanilla extract and powered sugar and mix again. Transfer a few spoons into a piping bag.

Step 15

Once the profiteroles are cooled, fill them with the cream cheese filling. (Don't pierce the base of the profiteroles like this by the way, they won't bake properly.) Serve and enjoy!