Nigella Profiteroles Recipes

PROFITEROLES WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 7.
• Place the butter into a pan with 300ml/½pt water and heat gently until the butter has melted.
• Add the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture looks like roughly mashed potato.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well to combine each egg before adding the next, until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
• Spoon equal portions of the mixture (about one tablespoonful) onto baking trays lined with slightly damp baking parchment and place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until golden-brown and puffed up.
• Remove from the oven and make an incision into the side of each profiterole to allow the steam to escape, then return to the oven for 1-2 minutes to let the profiteroles dry out. Place onto a wire rack to cool.
• For the filling, whip together the cream and vanilla essence until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed, then gently fold in the caster sugar.
• When the profiteroles are completely cold, pipe the cream into each profiterole, through the incision, and arrange on a serving dish.
• For the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate and the cream into a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Do not allow the bowl to touch the water. When the chocolate has melted, stir the sauce and pour all over the pile of profiteroles on the dish and serve immediately.

LEMON PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• For the lemon curd: In a large saucepan, add the milk, eggs, sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir until the consistency of heavy cream and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool.
• In a small mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks are formed.
• Once the lemon curd has cooled, divide it into 2 bowls. *Add the whipped cream to 1 of the bowls, gently folding it into the lemon curd mixture.
• Using a pastry bag (or large plastic bag) inject the profiteroles with the lemon curd. Dip the profiteroles into the lemon curd and cream mixture, which has been set aside, to coat fully. Be sure to coat profiterole on all sides. On a cooling rack, place the profiteroles on it so that the mixture settles. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• Place profiteroles on a serving plate and garnish with lemon zest.

PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To make the profiteroles, put the butter and 2 tsp of the caster sugar in a saucepan with 150ml water. Place the pan over a low heat until the butter and sugar have melted, then bring to the boil. Take off the heat, add the flour all at once and beat energetically with a wooden spoon until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan.
• Leave to cool for 5 mins, then beat in the eggs bit by bit until you have a stiff, glossy mixture (this process is much easier in a food processor). Rinse two baking trays with cold water, shaking off any excess so they are slightly damp (this helps the pastry to rise). Using 2 teaspoons, spoon blobs of the mixture onto the baking trays. Then place in the oven and cook for about 18-20 mins until well risen and brown. Remove the profiteroles from the oven and cut a small slit in the base of each one so they don't collapse. Cool on a wire rack.
• When they're cold, whip the cream lightly until just holding its shape. Sweeten to taste with remaining sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract. Cut the profiteroles in half, fill them with the sweetened cream and pile them up on a plate. You can refrigerate them for 1-2 hrs at this point but not for any longer as the pastry will go soggy.
• To make the sauce, sift the cocoa powder into a bowl. Put the sugar in a pan with 100ml water and warm over a low heat until dissolved. Bring to the boil, cook for 1 min, then pour over the cocoa powder and stir well until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan, cook for 1 min then set aside for 15 mins before drizzling over the profiteroles.