pastry cream profiteroles

Photography by Sasha Ewing

Recipe adapted from Annabel Langbein's choux pastry

PASTRY CREAM PROFITEROLES

Choux pastry:

1 cup water

120g butter, diced

1.5 cup plain flour, sifted

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs

To fill:

2.5 cups pastry cream

To top:

200g white chocolate

2 tsp instant coffee powder

1 tbsp boiling water

2 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup pistachio nuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius (fan-forced)and line 2 oven trays with baking paper. 

2. To make the choux pastry, place water and butter in a medium saucepan and heat until boiling. Once the butter is fully melted, add the flour all at once and beat over medium heat with a wooden spoon until the mixture leaves the side of the saucepan and starts to crust a little on the base of the pan (approx. 1 minute). Remove from heat and transfer mixture to large mixing bowl. Add sugar and vanilla and beat for 20 seconds before beating in eggs one at a time. Mixture should be thick enough to drop from spoon in clumps.

3. Using a one-inch tipped piping bag, pipe two-inch diameter mounds of mixture one and a half inches apart on the lined trays. Using the back of a wet teaspoon, smooth the tops of the mounds. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. 

4. Remove from the oven and pierce the bottom of each puff with a knife. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

5. To fill, use a 1.5cm tipped piping bag and pipe pastry cream into each puff through the piercing made in each puff. For the topping, melt the white chocolate. Dip the tops of half of the puffs into the chocolate then let them set. For the coffee sauce, place the boiling water in a bowl and add the coffee. Stir well. Mix in the icing sugar and vanilla. Dip the tops of the remaining puffs into the coffee sauce. Chop up the pistachios and sprinkle over the top of each puff.

Fill and serve these the day they are made. The unfilled profiteroles may be stored in an airtight container for one day.