Chocolate Hazelnut Profiteroles Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400 F convection/fan (425 F if using a conventional setting) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Combine egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix until homogeneous and set aside.

Add the milk to a saucepan.

Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add both the pod and seeds to the saucepan of milk.

Cook the milk on medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning. Once the milk has come to a boil, remove it from the heat and discard the vanilla bean.

Pour a bit of the heated milk (about ½ cup) into the egg yolk mixture, whisking to prevent the eggs from cooking.

Transfer the tempered egg yolk mixture to the saucepan of milk and return it to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add 3 tablespoons butter. Stir until smooth.

Strain the cream through a sieve placed over a bowl to collect any lumps. Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap (it should directly touch the surface of the cream to stop a skin from forming). Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set. (Once set, don't whisk again, as it will lose its thickness.)

Meanwhile, make the pâte à choux. Add water, ½ cup butter, 2 teaspoons sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt to a clean saucepan over medium heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the other 4 eggs in a separate bowl.

Once the pâte à choux mixture starts boiling and the butter is fully melted, add the flour all at once, cooking and stirring constantly until the mixture starts to thicken and forms a thin layer on the bottom of the saucepan.

Remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix the dough until it cools slightly.

Add the beaten eggs to the dough, still mixing, in 3-4 parts. You might not need all of the eggs, so check the dough consistency before adding the last part. The dough is ready when it slowly falls down from the paddle attachment in a V-shape.

Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a piping bag. Cut the tip of the bag about ¾ inch wide.

Pipe walnut-size blobs of pâte à choux, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheet. If the blobs have peaks, gently smooth them down with a wet finger.

Bake on the middle rack for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 320 F and bake for 12 more minutes, or until golden brown.

When ready, turn off the oven, remove the baking sheet, and make small holes in the bottom of each profiterole with a toothpick or skewer before placing them back on the tray with the holes facing up. Bake for 10 more minutes so the profiteroles can release the steam and dry out from the inside with the residual heat.

Remove profiteroles from the oven and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, place the set pastry cream into a piping bag with a round piping tip nozzle, about ¼ inch wide.

Fill each cooled pastry with the cream.

To make the chocolate ganache, heat up the heavy cream in a small saucepan. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl, and once the cream is warm, pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes to melt, then whisk until smooth.

Dip each profiterole into the chocolate ganache, place on a plate, and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Enjoy right away.

Spice Level:

Allergens