This week again I am trying out one of the challenges of the French Bake Off. But I wasn’t very inspired by the themes: a Tennis Cake – nah, a cake for kids – I make those all the time… The last one was the profiteroles, those French choux puffs traditionally filled with vanilla ice-cream and served with warm chocolate sauce, of which I am not the biggest fan… Usually, when you have profiteroles in a restaurant, the ice-cream and chocolate sauce are only there to hide tasteless choux puffs, which always brings down the dish. So I decided to make delicious icy profiteroles with a twist: I give you my caramel profiteroles, filled with pear sorbet and their pool of homemade salted caramel sauce!
I flavoured my choux pastry with chocolate because I love chocolate and pears (this is turning into an obsession lately…). Hopefully, I am not part of the show this year otherwise I would be reprimanded about that! So without further a due, here is the recipe for the caramel profiteroles.
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves 6 (2 profiteroles per person)
- 14cl water
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of sugar
- 85g butter
- 85g strong white flour
- 30g cocoa powder
- 140g eggs (about 3 eggs)
- 1l pear sorbet*
- 200g sugar
- 290ml double cream
- 100g salted butter
- Preheat oven to 180 °C fan mode.
- Boil the water with the salt, sugar and butter. Off the heat, add all the sifted flour and cocoa. Put the saucepan back on low heat and dry out the dough with a spatula until a thin layer forms at the bottom of the pan and the dough doesn't stick to the sides.
- Put the dought in a stand mixer with the leaf attachment and mix to chill the dough before adding the lightly beaten eggs at medium speed. Stop mixing when the eggs are fully incorporated and the dough is shiny.
- Using a piping bag, lay twenty large 5cm choux (this way you will have some extra choux) on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake for 40 minutes without opening the oven. Then turn off the oven, let your choux puffs dry for another 30mn. Take the choux out of the oven and let them cool completely on a rack.
- Pour the sugar in a pan and melt it over medium heat without stirring. Once the caramel has a nice amber color, remove from heat. Pour all the warm cream (you can use the microwave to warm it upin one go but slowly while stirring energetically.
- Then add the salted butter cut into small cubes and mix. Put the pan over low heat and whisk briskly to smooth your caramel sauce
- Pour the sauce into a glass jar and let it cool before using.
- When the choux and the caramel have cooled completely, cut the choux in 2. Insert a scoop of pear sorbet** in each choux then close with the second of the choux.
- Serve 2 profiteroles filled with sorbet per person and pour over 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnut chunks.
- *You can swap the pear sorbet for any sorbet or ice-cream of your choice.- **You can make your scoops of sorbet in advance, keeping them in the freezer. It can save you time and the sorbet won't melt as fast either.
© Photo: Clive Bozzard-Hill for Baked and Decorated by Eaglemoss / Stylisme: Anne-Sophie Fashion Cooking
Leave a Reply