Oreo Profiteroles Recipe

Preheat and prepare pans

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a large piping bag with a 1/2-inch round tip (or use a zip-top bag with the corner cut).

Make the dough: In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup water, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring to melt butter.

Add flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from pan and forms a smooth ball, about 1–2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring, for another 30 seconds to remove excess moisture.

Transfer dough to a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Beat briefly to cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Dough should be glossy and fall in a thick ribbon. Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla. You may not need all 4 eggs; adjust until consistency is right.

Pipe rounds: Using the piping bag, pipe 1 1/4-inch rounds spaced 1 inch apart (you should get about 24–30 small profiteroles). Smooth any peaks with a wet fingertip.

Bake: Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) without opening the door and bake an additional 15–18 minutes until puffed and deep golden. Do not open oven while they are rising.

Dry out shells: Turn off oven, crack door slightly and leave shells inside for 10 minutes to dry. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, use a small knife to cut a small slit in the side or bottom of each shell for airflow and later filling.

Warm the milk: In a medium saucepan, heat 2 cups whole milk over medium heat until it just begins to steam and tiny bubbles form at the edges. Do not boil.

Whisk yolks and dry ingredients: In a bowl whisk together 4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cornstarch until pale and smooth.

Temper the eggs: Slowly whisk about 1/3 of the hot milk into the yolk mixture to raise temperature, then whisk the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining milk over medium heat.

Cook until thick: Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens to a pudding consistency, about 2–4 minutes. Keep whisking and cook an additional 30 seconds to ensure cornstarch is cooked.

Finish the pastry cream: Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp softened butter and 1 tsp vanilla. If using, whisk in 2 oz cream cheese until smooth. Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl.

Add Oreos: Allow the cream to cool slightly (5 minutes), then fold in finely crushed Oreos (about 18 cookies). Mix until evenly distributed, leaving small cookie specks. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin and chill at least 2 hours until cold and set.

Prepare ganache: Place 7 oz chopped semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just simmers. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in 1 tbsp butter for shine.

Fill a piping bag: Transfer chilled Oreo pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (or use the corner-cut method).

Fill the profiteroles: Insert the tip into the slit or bottom hole of each cooled choux and gently pipe about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of Oreo pastry cream into each shell until slightly firm to the touch. Repeat until all shells are filled.

Dip or drizzle with ganache: Hold each filled profiterole by the base and dip the top into the warm ganache, or spoon ganache over the top. Place on a rack set over parchment to catch drips. If desired, dust with 1 tbsp powdered sugar while ganache is tacky.

Garnish: Sprinkle extra crushed Oreos (from 4 cookies crushed) on top of ganache before it sets for contrast and texture.

Chill briefly and serve: Chill assembled profiteroles in the refrigerator 15–30 minutes to allow ganache to set. Serve within 24 hours for best texture (pastry will soften over time).