History and Origin of Profiterole Pastry
Profiterole pastry, also known as choux pastry, has its roots in 16th-century French cuisine. Originally created by the chef of Queen Catherine de' Medici, this light and versatile dough has become the base for numerous desserts and savory preparations. In Latin America, although it is often known as profiterole pastry, in some countries like Mexico or Argentina it is also simply called choux pastry or eclair dough.
In other Latin American countries, the variety and use of this pastry may vary, but the base is always the same. For example, in Argentina it is common to prepare profiteroles filled with dulce de leche or pastry cream, while in Mexico they are used in both desserts and savory appetizers. The technique for preparing it has been passed down through generations, finding a place in many home and professional kitchens.
How to Make Profiterole Pastry
Ingredients: All-purpose wheat flour, water, unsalted sweet butter, salt, eggs, egg.
Place water, butter, and salt in a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and add the flour all at once.
Mix as quickly as possible with a sturdy wooden spoon.
This mixture is known as a "panade."
Return the saucepan to the stove over the lowest possible heat.
Continue stirring with the wooden spoon while the panade dries out.
This will take about 5 minutes, and a thin layer will form on the bottom of the saucepan.
This is supposed to happen, so don't worry and do not try to scrape it off and incorporate it into the dough, or you will have hard pieces in your pastries.
The dough should be smooth, but when pinched between your thumb and index finger it should not stick to your hand.
Pour the panade into a bowl and let it cool for at least 5 minutes.
Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
The mixture should look smooth and creamy before adding the next egg.
After beating all 4 eggs, the dough will be shiny and satin yellow, thick and heavy.
Grease and flour a cookie sheet.
Fill a pastry bag with the dough.
If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a spoon to drop portions of dough onto the sheet for eclairs and/or profiteroles, but you really should have a pastry bag to make a profiterole crown.
For profiteroles, pipe balls the size of ping pong or golf balls.
For eclairs, pipe oblong shapes 7 to 10 cm long.
If you use the recipe given above, you should end up with 14 to 16 pastries.
Do not succumb to the temptation of making fewer and larger ones, as they will not cook properly.
Brush the top of the pastries with beaten egg, using the bristles of the brush to gently press down and flatten the small curls left by the pastry bag when lifting it.
Finally, run the tines of a table fork along the length of each eclair.
The resulting ridges will make the product more attractive and professional.
For a profiterole crown, first mark a 25 cm circle on the surface of the greased and floured tray.
Then, using a pastry bag, pipe a 2.5 cm wide "halo" of profiterole pastry right on the circle you have outlined.
Pipe another ring of dough 2.5 cm wide adjacent to and touching the first one.
Pipe a third ring right over the "crack" between the other two.
Brush everything with beaten egg and sprinkle a handful of thinly sliced almonds over the crown.
Let the profiteroles, eclairs, or profiterole crown rest and "dry" for no less than 15 and no more than 25 minutes before baking.
The oven should be preheated to 190°C for profiteroles and/or eclairs, and to 200°C for the profiterole crown.
Bake the first ones at 190°C for about 30 minutes, or until they have puffed up well and are golden brown.
Bake the crown at 200°C for about 45 minutes, or until it is well puffed and golden.
Then, turn off the oven, open the door, and leave it slightly ajar for one hour.
If it doesn't stay ajar on its own, prop it open with something.
This allows the steam to escape and the pastries to cool slowly and "dry" as they cool so they don't collapse or become soft and moist.
After an hour, remove the pastries from the oven.
They are now ready to be filled.
To fill individual pastries: cut the profiteroles and eclairs in half.
Fill with the filling of your choice.
Place the tops back on.
Glaze with icing or pour sauce over the top.
Serve.
It is wise not to fill the pastries too far in advance of serving.
The closer the preparation time is to the serving time, the less likely the pastries are to soften or become moist.
To fill a cream crown: use a long serrated knife to cut the top off the profiterole crown.
Fill the base with praline cream.
Fill a pastry bag with sweetened whipped cream.
Use a zigzag-edged tip to pipe a layer of decorative whipped cream balls over the layer of praline cream.
Finally, place the top back on and dust the top with confectioners' 10x sugar.
Keep the profiterole crown in a cool, dry place until serving time.
