©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Cream Puffs a.k.a Profiterole has to be one of my all-time favourite desserts.
A profiterole, cream puff, or choux à la crème is a filled French choux pastry ball with a typically sweet and moist filling of whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or ice cream.
The puffs may be decorated or left plain or garnished with chocolate sauce, caramel, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
I have been known to buy a box from the grocery store and not share a single one!
In my defence, they are really really hard to share.
At Christmas, I prefer to make my own cream puffs (profiterole) instead of buying store-bought.
Something about the holidays makes me want to bake all the yummy things from scratch for my family and friends.
That is if any of my goodies make it to them.
Cream puffs (profiterole) is not a hard recipe to make at all, I promise!
And instead of piping dollops for cream puffs, you can pipe logs and fill with cream for eclairs – YUM!
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Cream Puffs – Profiterole Christmas Recipe
Whip up a batch (or two) of these delicious cream puffs (profiterole) today, they make the perfect holiday treat!
Plus check out some other delicious holiday recipes, DIYs and more at the end of this blog post.
What You Will Need:
For the Choux Pastry:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/3 tsp salt
For the Pastry Cream:
- 4 cups of milk
- 1 vanilla pod, halved
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
For decoration:
- 100g dark chocolate, melted
- crushed candy cane
How To Make the Cream Puffs – Profiterole Christmas Recipe
Follow along with the Cream Puffs – Profiterole step-by-step process photos and then find the printable recipe below!
Two main rules to Choux Pastry:
- Stick to the ingredients and measurements.
- Don’t open the oven while it bakes – just don’t do it!
Cream Puffs/Eclairs
These delicious treats are filled with whipped cream, plain or flavoured, and topped with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or chocolate ganache.
Profiteroles
These are filled with ice cream (use any flavour you like), topped with chocolate ganache and frozen.
All are made with the same base pastry and so delicious!
Choux Pastry
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Gather all of the ingredients you will need to make the cream puffs.
Preheat your oven to 400º F/ 200º C.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Combine butter, sugar, salt, water and milk in a saucepan (preferably not a non-stick one) and place it over medium heat.
Stir occasionally to make sure the liquid doesn’t start boiling before the rest of the ingredients have melted.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
When the mixture starts simmering, remove the pan from the stove and add the whole flour at once.
Start mixing with a wooden spoon until the flour absorbs all the liquid and a ball of dough forms.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Return the pan to the heat and continue mixing the dough for about 2 minutes.
You should see a coating forming on the bottom of the pan (this will not happen if the pan is non-stick).
The dough should also be very firm and thick.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl.
Let it cool for 5 minutes, mixing from time to time.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Start adding the eggs little by little (preferably lightly beaten in advance).
Whisk well after each addition so that it is completely absorbed before adding more.
The final consistency of the choux pastry should be thick and glossy and not runny.
It should look more like dough than like batter (see notes for troubleshooting tips).
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Use a piping bag with a round tip or without any tip (just cut the end) to pipe round cream puffs.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the puffs are golden brown and puffy.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack.
Let them cool completely before filling.
Cream Puffs Filling
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Gather the ingredients you will need to make the cream puffs filling.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
In a mixing bowl whisk together egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Gradually add the flour and keep whisking until the mixture is completely smooth.
In the meantime heat the milk with the vanilla pod (divided) in a saucepan.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
When the milk is very hot but not yet boiling, remove the pan from heat and take out the vanilla pod.
Start adding from the milk to the yolk mixture.
Whisk constantly to avoid cooking the yolks.
Once the whole milk is combined with the yolk mixture, pour them back to the saucepan and return it to heat.
Whisk constantly to avoid burning.
When the cream becomes thick, remove it from the heat.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Immediately add the butter and whisk for a few seconds until it melts and gets absorbed.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Cover the pastry cream with cling film so that it sticks to the surface: this will not allow a crust to be formed on top.
Let the pastry cream cool until room temperature before filling the puffs.
Assembling & Garnishing The Cream Puffs – Profiterole
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Place your cooled filling into a piping bag, you can use a tip if you’d like.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Cut the cream puffs horizontally and pipe pastry cream inside the bottom of each one.
Place the top half back on.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Repeat until you have filled all of your cream puffs.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Use a teaspoon to spread melted chocolate on top.
Sprinkle with some crushed candy cane or sprinkles.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Now you can enjoy your delicious cream puffs (profiterole).
Cream Puffs - Profiterole Christmas Recipe
Ingredients
For the Choux Pastry:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/3 tsp salt
For the Pastry Cream:
- 4 cups of milk
- 1 vanilla pod, halved
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
For decoration:
- 100g dark chocolate, melted
- crushed candy cane
Instructions
Choux Pastry:
- Preheat the oven to 400º F/ 200º C.
- Combine butter, sugar, salt, water and milk in a saucepan (preferably not a non-stick one) and place it over medium heat. Stir occasionally to make sure the liquid doesn't start boiling before the rest of the ingredients have melted.
- When the mixture starts simmering, remove the pan from the stove and add the whole flour at once. Start mixing with a wooden spoon until the flour absorbs all the liquid and a ball of dough forms.
- Return the pan to the heat and continue mixing the dough for about 2 minutes. You should see a coating forming on the bottom of the pan (this will not happen if the pan is non-stick). The dough should also be very firm and thick.
- Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Let it cool for 5 minutes, mixing from time to time.
- Start adding the eggs little by little (preferably lightly beaten in advance). Whisk well after each addition so that it is completely absorbed before adding more. The final consistency of the choux pastry should be thick and glossy and not runny. It should look more like dough than like batter (see notes for troubleshooting tips).
- Use a piping bag with a round tip or without any tip (just cut the end) to pipe round cream puffs.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the puffs are golden brown and puffy.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a wire rack. Let them cool completely before filling.
Pastry Cream:
- In a mixing bowl whisk together egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy. Gradually add the flour and keep whisking until the mixture is completely smooth.
- In the meantime heat the milk with the vanilla pod (divided) in a saucepan.
- When the milk is very hot but not yet boiling, remove the pan from heat and take out the vanilla pod. Start adding from the milk to the yolk mixture. Whisk constantly to avoid cooking the yolks.
- Once the whole milk is combined with the yolk mixture, pour them back to the saucepan and return it to heat. Whisk constantly to avoid burning. When the cream becomes thick, remove it from the heat. Immediately add the butter and whisk for a few seconds until it melts and gets absorbed.
- Cover the pastry cream with cling film so that it sticks to the surface: this will not allow a crust to be formed on top.
- Let the pastry cream cool until room temperature before filling the puffs.
To assemble:
- Cut the cream puffs horizontally and pipe pastry cream inside each one.
- Use a teaspoon to spread melted chocolate on top.
- Sprinkle with some crushed candy cane.
Notes
Dough consistency: add the eggs gradually to avoid making the dough too thin, if by any chance less than the listed quantity would be required. Choux pastry should be thick and glossy, flexible and firm so that the piped shapes remain. If by any chance you end up with a thinner dough, don't just add more raw flour to it. Prepare a small quantity of the mixture before adding the eggs and whisk it into the thin choux pastry.
Pastry cream: alternatively you can substitute the vanilla pod with vanilla extract or any other flavour you might prefer.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
Delicious Holiday Recipes, DIYs and more!
Check out these other recipes, DIYs, printables and more to celebrate the holidays.
©Aimée Geroux | https://extremecouponingmom.ca
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Sarah says
Why does the recipe call for water but doesnt specify when to add the water?
Aimee says
It is very clearly there in both my step-by-step process with photos as well as the recipe card. Maybe you just missed it? You add it into the pot with the milk, butter, sugar and salt 🙂