Profiteroles Recipe

Preheat & prepare

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a large pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip or prepare a zip-top bag with a corner snipped.

Make the dough: In a medium saucepan combine water, 1/4 cup milk, butter, granulated sugar (1 tsp) and salt. Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium heat until butter melts and mixture comes to a full boil.

Add the flour all at once, reduce heat to medium-low, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball, about 1–2 minutes. Continue cooking and stirring for 30–60 seconds to remove some moisture.

Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool 3–4 minutes (warm, not hot). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition (by hand or with paddle/whisk) until the dough is smooth, glossy, and falls in a thick ribbon from the spatula. Depending on egg size, you may use slightly less/more — final dough should be pipeable but hold shape.

Pipe rounds about 1.25 inches (3 cm) in diameter, spaced 1.5 inches apart, onto prepared sheets. Smooth any peaks with a wet finger.

Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake another 15–18 minutes until golden and puffed. Do not open oven while baking. Once done, poke each puff with a small knife to release steam and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Infuse milk: In a medium saucepan, warm 2 cups whole milk with 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder over medium heat until just below simmering, whisking to dissolve the espresso. Remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes for stronger coffee flavor, then rewarm gently.

Whisk together 0.75 cup granulated sugar, 5 egg yolks and 1/4 cup cornstarch in a medium bowl until pale and smooth.

Temper eggs: Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into the yolk mixture in a steady stream while whisking constantly to raise the temperature without scrambling yolks. Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the remaining milk in the saucepan.

Cook the custard over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it comes to a simmer and thickens noticeably, about 2–4 minutes. Boil gently 30–60 seconds while whisking to fully activate the cornstarch. Remove from heat.

Stir in 2 tablespoons cold cubed butter, 2 tablespoons amaretto and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any bits. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin forming and chill until fully cold, at least 2 hours (or refrigerate 30–45 minutes and stir occasionally for faster cool).

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) if not already warm. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Cut in 3 tablespoons cold cubed butter with a fork or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (pea-sized).

Spread the crumble mixture on a small parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 10–12 minutes, stirring once, until lightly golden and crisp. Let cool completely; it will crisp more as it cools. Break into small pieces for scattering on plated profiteroles.

Prepare chocolate sauce: Chop 4 oz dark chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream until it simmers, pour over chopped chocolate, let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. If desired, stir in 1 tablespoon amaretto. Keep warm or reheat gently before serving.

Hollow the choux: Using a small serrated knife or piping tip, cut a small hole in the base of each cooled puff or squeeze gently to open a cavity. Transfer chilled coffee-amaretto custard to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped).

Fill puffs: Pipe custard into each puff until slightly full but not overstuffed. If preferred, fill half the puffs and sandwich two puffs together with custard between.

To finish: Arrange filled profiteroles on a platter. Drizzle warm chocolate sauce over them, dust lightly with confectioners' sugar, and sprinkle the milk & coffee crumble over the top for texture and extra coffee flavor.

Serve immediately while chocolate sauce is warm. Leftover filled profiteroles can be refrigerated up to 24 hours (choux will soften over time).