Choux pastry is a light French pastry made by cooking flour with water and butter before adding eggs. That cooked pastry gives Delia Smith Profiteroles Recipe its golden, hollow buns, which are filled with whipped cream and covered in warm chocolate sauce.
Ingredients
This recipe makes approximately 16 profiteroles, enough for 4–6 servings.
For the Choux Pastry:
60g strong plain flour
150ml water
50g unsalted butter
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon caster sugar
For the Cream Filling:
250ml double cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar (optional)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
For the Chocolate Sauce:
100g dark chocolate, chopped
100ml whole milk
1 tablespoon golden syrup
I recommend using dark chocolate with around 60% cocoa solids. It gives the sauce a rich chocolate flavour without making it too bitter. For the filling, double cream is the best choice because it whips easily and stays thick enough to hold inside the pastry.
How to Make Delia Smith Profiteroles
Step 1: Make the Choux Pastry
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line two baking trays with baking parchment. Sift the flour and caster sugar into a bowl so everything is ready before you start cooking.
Put the butter and water into a medium saucepan over low heat. Let the butter melt completely, then increase the heat until the mixture reaches a rolling boil. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and add the flour and sugar all at once.
Beat firmly with a wooden spoon until the flour absorbs the liquid and forms a smooth, thick dough. Return the saucepan to low heat for about one minute, stirring continuously. The pastry should come together in a ball and leave the sides of the pan almost clean.
Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for 3–5 minutes. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing thoroughly after each addition. The finished pastry should look smooth and glossy and fall slowly from a spoon in a thick ribbon. Stop adding egg once it reaches this consistency.
Don’t rush the eggs. Adding too much can make the pastry runny, leaving you with flat buns instead of nicely risen profiteroles.
Step 2: Shape and Bake the Profiteroles
Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Pipe about 16 small rounds onto the prepared baking trays, leaving enough space between them to expand.
You can also use two teaspoons to shape the pastry if you don’t have a piping bag. Lightly wet your finger and flatten any pointed tops so they don’t burn during baking.
Place the trays in the preheated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the profiteroles have risen and turned golden brown. They should feel firm and dry on the outside.
Avoid opening the oven during the first 20 minutes. The pastry rises as steam expands inside the dough, and opening the door too early can cause the buns to sink.
Once baked, remove the profiteroles and pierce a small hole underneath each one to release steam. If the centres still seem damp, return them to the switched-off oven for another 5 minutes with the door slightly open.
Transfer them to a wire rack and leave them to cool completely.
Step 3: Make the Cream Filling and Chocolate Sauce
Pour the double cream into a chilled bowl. Add the icing sugar and vanilla extract, then whisk until the cream forms soft peaks. It should be thick enough to hold its shape but still smooth.
For the chocolate sauce, place the chopped chocolate, milk and golden syrup in a small saucepan. Warm gently over low heat, stirring until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Don’t let the sauce boil.
Once the pastry shells are cold, slice them horizontally or pipe the cream through the small holes underneath. Fill each profiterole generously without breaking the pastry.
Arrange the filled buns on a serving plate and spoon the warm chocolate sauce over them.
I think Delia Smith Profiteroles Recipe tastes best when the pastry has been freshly filled. The outside still has a little crispness, while the cream stays cold and the chocolate sauce is pleasantly warm.
What to Serve With Delia Smith Profiteroles
Profiteroles are already a complete dessert, so they don’t need much alongside them. However, a few additions go particularly well with the cream and chocolate.
Fresh strawberries or raspberries: Their slightly sharp flavour cuts through the rich chocolate sauce. Serve a small handful beside the profiteroles.
Vanilla ice cream: A scoop of vanilla ice cream works well with warm chocolate sauce. You can even use ice cream instead of whipped cream for a different filling.
Fresh coffee: Espresso or black coffee is especially good after a serving of chocolate profiteroles. Its bitterness balances the sweet filling.
Toasted almonds: Scatter a few chopped toasted almonds over the finished profiteroles for extra crunch. I prefer a small amount so the chocolate remains the main flavour.
Delia Smith Profiteroles Nutrition Information
The following nutrition values are approximate per profiterole, based on 16 pieces with cream filling and chocolate sauce.
Nutrient | Approximate Amount |
|---|---|
Calories | 160 kcal |
Protein | 3g |
Carbohydrates | 9g |
Fat | 13g |
Saturated Fat | 8g |
Sugar | 5g |
Fibre | 1g |
The exact values depend on the chocolate, cream and amount of sauce used. Larger profiteroles will naturally contain more calories.
FAQs
Why didn’t my profiteroles rise?
The oven may not have been hot enough, or the pastry may have contained too much egg. Choux pastry needs strong initial heat to produce the steam that makes it rise. Make sure the oven is fully preheated and the dough is thick enough to hold its shape before baking.
Why are my profiteroles soft instead of crispy?
They probably contain too much moisture. Bake the shells until golden and firm, then pierce each one to let steam escape. You can return unfilled shells to a warm oven for a few minutes if they have softened.
Can I make profiteroles a day ahead?
Yes. Bake the pastry shells the day before and store them unfilled in an airtight container at room temperature. Prepare the filling separately and refrigerate it. Fill the profiteroles shortly before serving for the best texture.
Can I freeze homemade profiteroles?
Yes, unfilled profiterole shells can be frozen for up to two months. Store them in an airtight freezer container. Thaw at room temperature, then warm them briefly in the oven to restore their crispness. Let them cool before filling.
Can I use custard instead of whipped cream?
Yes. Thick vanilla pastry cream is another traditional filling for profiteroles. It gives them a richer centre and holds its shape nicely. Avoid thin pouring custard because it can make the pastry soggy.
How long do filled profiteroles last in the fridge?
Filled profiteroles are best eaten within 24 hours. Keep them covered in the refrigerator at 5°C or below. The pastry will gradually soften as it absorbs moisture from the cream, so I recommend adding the filling and chocolate sauce as close to serving time as possible.