Chocolate Cream-filled Profiteroles (Chocolate Cream Puffs)

"No, egg yolks are bad and we should only eat the whites". This is what my husband always insist whenever I fry him an egg. All these years, I have long given up proving to him with health articles about the benefits of egg yolks, or at least the harmless of eating egg yolks and "coaxing" him into eating the yolks. I know very well that it's just his plain excuse for not eating the yolks, which he claimed has a funny taste, when he refuses to accept that egg yolk has its beneficial contents. That's also his way of refuting my claim that he behaves just like a big kid picking on his food. And for that reason, we always have leftover egg yolks which I sometimes have to throw away if he is eating eggs too often. >,<

But fortunately or unfortunately, the leftover egg yolks prompted this bake when I decided to turn the yolks into pastry cream. And my immediate association with pastry cream are these delicious cream puffs, a French dessert otherwise known as Profiteroles.

Chocolate Cream-filled Profiteroles (Chocolate Cream Puffs)

This French dessert may be delicate, but they are definitely not difficult to make. I have adopted the same pastry dough recipe that I'd used for my mini Chocolate Eclairs since it was an easy and successful recipe. Looking back at my post archives, I then realised that those were made almost a year ago. *Gosh~ how time flies! Anyway, I find it really interesting how two different desserts could be formed from the same recipe when they just appear in different shapes (and sizes). ^_^

Chocolate Cream-filled Profiteroles (Chocolate Cream Puffs)
Makes about 20 two-bite size

Ingredients Required

Pastry Dough
Recipe adapted from: The Dream Baker's Mini Chocolate Eclairs
Makes about 20

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup margarine or unsalted butter
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 whole eggs

Chocolate Pastry Cream
Recipe referenced and modified from: Joy of Baking
Makes about 1-1/2 cup

1 1/4 cup (300 ml) milk
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons (20 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon liqueur (Grand Marnier, Brandy, Kirsch) (optional)
60 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bakeware Used

Large baking sheet, piping bags, large round piping tip

Preparation Steps

Pastry Dough (also known as Patê à Choux)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a small saucepan, heat water and margarine/butter to boiling point. 
3. Add flour and stir constantly using a heatproof spatula until mixture is smooth and forms a ball. 
4. Remove saucepan from heat and let mixture cool. (Note: It is not necessary to cool the mixture completely, just lukewarm is fine so that the eggs don't cook).
5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated after each addition. The consistency of the pastry dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the spatula when lifted.
   Transfer pastry dough into a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip.
6. Pipe out dough in rounds, about 1-inch, on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Smooth out the pointed bumps of dough by pressing down with slightly wet finger.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown. Inside of the of puff should be dry and feel hollow when ready. 
8. Once baked, make a small slit on the side of the puff shells using a small knife or poke with a toothpick to allow the steam to escape. This will prevent the puff shell from turning soggy.
9. Let cool completely over wire rack before filling.

Gently smooth out the pointy bumps of the pastry dough by pressing it down with a slightly wet finger. Wetting the finger prevents the pastry dough from sticking to the finger.

The classic look of the puff shells.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

1. In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks together. (Do let the mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.) 
2. Sift flour and cornstarch into the egg mixture, and mix until a smooth paste is formed.
3. In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a soft boil (just until milk starts to foam up.) 
4. Slowly and carefully add the heated milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs mixture from curdling. (Note: Pour mixture through a strainer to remove any egg curds.)
5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. 
6. Once the mixture comes to a boil, continue whisking the mixture until it becomes thick and gluey. 
7. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the vanilla extract and liqueur (if using). 
8. Pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl with chocolate chips. Allow the mixture to warm and melt the chocolate chips before stirring thoroughly until all chocolate chips are melted and well combined.
9. Cover the surface with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Cool to room temperature and chill in the fridge until required. Whisk to loosen pastry cream into pipe-able consistency when ready to use.

Assembling the Cream Puffs

1. Transfer pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a small star tip.
2. Slit the cooled puff shells horizontally halfway (so that the top and bottom half of the puff shells remains attached).
3. Pipe a good amount of pastry cream between the puff shells. (Alternatively, skip step 2 and simply inject the pastry cream into the hollow puff pastry).
4. Dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder mixture (optional) and serve.

The Dream Baker's Experiment

1. The pastry dough recipe is half of the original recipe I'd used for my mini Chocolate Eclairs.
2. I used unsalted butter and large eggs weighing approximately 60 grams each (with shell on).
3. I baked the pastry dough in the middle rack of oven for approximately 22 minutes. Baking time differs across different ovens and depends on the size of the piped pastry dough.
4. For the pastry cream, I used 2% reduced fat milk and 43 grams of egg yolks. 
5. This is a two-bite size cream puff after filling with the chocolate cream. 

There are many different ways of presenting and serving these pastry balls. The more common ways includes serving with whipped cream, pastry cream, ice cream, topped with icing sugar or chocolate ganache. They may also be served plain with caramel sauce and fruits. 

I serve mine with chocolate pastry cream made from my leftover egg yolks dust with a mixture of icing sugar and cocoa powder. What can I say?! Yummy!

I am sharing these French dessert, Chocolate Cream-filled Profiteroles (Chocolate Cream Puffs) with Treat Petite (May 2015 theme: Eurovision) hosted by Stuart of Cakeyboi and Kat of The Baking Explorer. And I would like to take this opportunity to wish Cakeyboi blog a Happy 3rd Birthday, and Eurovision a Happy 60th Birthday!

At the same time, I would also like to share these Chocolate Cream Puffs with Family Bakes hosted by Jenny of Modern Family Baking;

Recipe of the Week hosted by Emily of A Mummy Too; and

last but not least, CookBlogShare hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes;

Finally and for the first time, I am also sharing with blog event, We Should Cocoa (May 2015: Vanilla) organised by Choclette of Tin and Thyme and Chele of Chocolate Teapot and guest hosted by Karen of Lavender and Lovage for the month of May 2015;

as well as blog event, Best Recipes for Everyone (May 2015 Event: My Favourite Desserts) organized by Fion of XuanHom's Mom and co-hosted by Aunty Young. Thanks to my blog reader, Ms Karen of Luv Sweet and Savoury for sharing this linky event with me! ^_^

It's one more day to weekend! Have an awesome one people! ^_^

Dare to dream.

The Dream Baker