Recipes › Dessert › Italian Profiteroles Recipe

Italian Profiteroles Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Italian profiteroles are elegant cream-filled choux pastry puffs traditionally served as a refined dessert across Italy. These delicate, golden pastries are filled with lightly sweetened whipped cream or zabaglione, then often drizzled with warm chocolate sauce. This classic Italian treat combines technical precision with simple, quality ingredients for an impressive homemade dessert.

Ingredients

• 250 ml whole milk
• 125g unsalted butter
• 2.5 ml salt
• 5 ml granulated sugar
• 150g all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 300 ml heavy cream
• 30g powdered sugar
• 5 ml vanilla extract
• 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
• 30g unsalted butter (for chocolate sauce)
• 15 ml heavy cream (for chocolate sauce)

Instructions

1. Heat milk, butter, salt, and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture reaches a gentle boil.

2. Remove from heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball of dough.

3. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let cool for 2-3 minutes, then add eggs one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition until fully incorporated.

4. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Transfer choux dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain round tip. Pipe 24 small mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 5 cm apart.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the profiteroles are puffed and golden brown with a firm, dry exterior. Do not open the oven door during baking.

6. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, approximately 15 minutes.

7. Prepare the filling by whipping heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.

8. Once profiteroles are cool, use a small serrated knife to carefully cut a horizontal slit near the base of each puff to create an opening for filling.

9. Using a small spoon or piping bag, gently fill each profiterole with approximately 10 ml of whipped cream filling.

10. For the chocolate sauce, chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl with butter and cream. Set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until smooth and glossy. Drizzle warm sauce over filled profiteroles just before serving.

Substitutions

• Replace heavy cream with mascarpone mixed with 15 ml powdered sugar for a richer, Italian-style filling
• Use zabaglione (6 egg yolks, 75g sugar, 120 ml marsala wine whisked over gentle heat) instead of whipped cream for traditional Italian preparation
• Substitute all-purpose flour with 140g all-purpose flour plus 10g cornstarch for extra lightness
• Replace dark chocolate with milk chocolate or white chocolate for the sauce according to preference

Tips

• Do not open the oven door during the first 20 minutes of baking, as temperature fluctuations can prevent proper puffing and drying of the choux shells
• Make the choux dough just before piping; it can become difficult to work with as it cools further
• Profiteroles can be filled up to 2 hours before serving; store unfilled baked shells in an airtight container for up to 24 hours
• Warm the chocolate sauce slightly before drizzling to ensure it flows smoothly and adheres to the profiteroles

Profiteroles, known as 'pasta choux' or 'bignè' in Italy, have French origins but were adopted and refined throughout Italian cuisine during the Renaissance. They remain a signature dessert in Italian restaurants and patisseries, often served at celebrations and special occasions with variations featuring mascarpone, zabaglione, or coffee-flavored fillings.

You might also like

Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe

52 min · Dessert

Italian Red Wine Chocolate Cake Recipe

55 min · Dessert

Italian Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe

65 min · Dessert

Italian Ricotta Cookies Recipe

38 min · Dessert