I have a dessert recipe for you that never fails to impress, has that real wow factor with no plastic or cardboard cone in sight ! Chef Jules Profiterole Tower, has 3 elements to its composition.
I have a dessert recipe for you that never fails to impress, has that real wow factor with no plastic or cardboard cone in sight ! Chef Jules Profiterole Tower, has 3 elements to its composition. The Creme Patissier (Pastry Cream), Chocolate Sauce, both which can be made a little in advance, and the Choux Paste, to make the Profiteroles.
For the Pastry cream you will need
In a bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until white, add the flour and mix to a smooth paste. Bring the milk and vanilla pod to the boil and add to the paste, gradually at first, whisking continuously. Place in a saucepan and bring to the boil as quickly as possible, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon so as not to catch on the bottom. Take off the heat, transfer to a bowl and cover with cling film. When cool place in the fridge until required.
Chocolate Sauce
Heat the cream in a medium sized saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients. Gradually bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Cool and refrigerate until required.
Choux Paste, for the Profiteroles (makes 60)
Approximately 8 eggs, (beaten)
In a saucepan, place the water, butter, sugar and slowly bring to the boil. Take off the heat and add the sifted flour, stirring with a wooden spoon, return to the heat for a couple of minutes and keep stirring until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
Add the eggs in 4 stages, beating in between, checking before you add the last stage that the mixture is of “dropping consistency”, i.e, if you lift the spoon up, the mixture should drop and not flow in a constant stream.
Heat your oven to a medium/hot temperature. Pipe the mixture, walnut size on to a lightly oiled trays, as in the above photo, you will need two large trays or four smaller ones. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, don’t open the oven during this process. Once cooked, cool on wire racks.
Assembly of the Profiterole Tower
Take a piping bag with a 1cm plain nozzle and fill the Profiteroles with the Pastry Cream mixture, (vanilla pod removed). Choose a large, round platter and pipe some mixture, in a circle on the bottom. Place the Profiteroles on top, use more Pastry Cream to “cement” another layer of Profiteroles, slightly reducing the circumference as you go higher and continuing until you have 1 Profiterole on top.
Heat the chocolate sauce in the microwave for 1 minute and stir thoroughly. Drizzle this over the Profiterole Tower and serve immediately.
Chef Jules Tips
If you don’t have the time or inclination to make your own profiteroles, they can be bought from all good supermarkets, usually in the biscuit section. They are drier and crisper than home made, so you will have to cut them in half to pipe in the Pastry Cream, and then push them together
This dessert is better assembled 20 minutes before serving. I have taken this to a friends house, Profiteroles already filled, pastry cream in the piping bag for “cementing” and the chocolate sauce in a bowl ready for microwaving to add just before serving.
The Peppermint essence is optional, I always add it because it’s not overpowering and softens the sweetness.
I recommend using digital scales, particularly for baking.
This recipe is a lot easier than it sounds, and will amaze your guests. Hope you all enjoy my profiterole tower recipe.