Honey Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce

The beauty of this profiterole recipe is actually serving them: allow your guests to pour their own hot chocolate sauce over the profiteroles. It’s not only interactive but also a way to slow down the last moments of dinner together as each guest waits for the saucier of hot chocolate to be passed to them.

Profiteroles require some technique, but they’re not hard to make. Like most things, practice makes perfect. The key steps are to make sure to dry out the pâte à choux when cooking the dough, cooling it down a little before adding the eggs one at a time, and starting them in a very hot oven.

We’ve also found profiteroles puff the best when the pâte à choux is frozen into pucks. Allow them to “sweat” a little before popping them into the hot oven. You’ll also notice we start baking them at a high temperature and then turn the oven down. The higher temperature facilitates the rise of the pastry as the water evaporates at a faster rate resulting in a light and puffy profiterole. Once you get the puff, the lower temperature allows the pastry to cook and dry out properly.

Honey Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce
makes about 12 profiteroles, depending on size

shopping list —

for the pâte à choux —

• 250 grams water

• 125 grams butter

• 2.5 grams salt

• 138 grams all-purpose flour

• 250 grams whole eggs

for the honey chantilly —

• 1 cup cream

• 1-2 tbsp honey, depending on your sweetness preference

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• salt

for the chocolate sauce —

• 8 oz quality chocolate

• 1/2 cup cream

• 4 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp corn syrup

equipment —

• sauce pot

• whisk

• wooden spoon or rubber spatula

• stand mixer with paddle attachment

• piping bag x2

steps —

for the pâte à choux —

1. Add the water, butter, and salt to the pot. Top with a lid and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

2. Whisk in the flour then switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and dries out. A skin will form on the bottom of the pot.

3. Transfer to the stand mixer bowl. Paddle the mixture until it cools down a little. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between.

4. Transfer the pâte à choux into a piping bag. Pipe profiteroles onto a sheet tray, leaving about 2” in between each. If the profiteroles have any tips, wet your finger in water and gently push them down.

   *At this point, you can freeze them on the sheet tray if desired. Once solid, you can store them in tupperware.

5. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 375ºF and bake them for another 10 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool.

for the honey chantilly —

1. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the cream with the honey and vanilla extract until stiff peaks, but not so far that the cream becomes grainy. Fold in a pinch of salt.

   *The slower you whip the cream, the more stabilized the chantilly will be.

for the chocolate sauce —

1. Over a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate until it melts, scraping the sides down as needed. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk over the heat.

   *When using a double boiler, make sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the bowl or the chocolate will seize.

to assemble —

1. Cut the profiteroles in half like a hamburger bun.

2. Pipe the chantilly in and place the top back on. Pile the profiteroles on a serving platter and fill a saucier — or gravy boat — with the hot chocolate.

3. Grab a napkin and eat ‘em over a trash can. Serve on a platter and parade them toward the table where the guests can pour their own chocolate sauce.