White Chocolate Ganache Profiteroles
These gems may take some time to complete, but well worth it when entertaining special guests I traditionally host a wine and dessert party at Christmas and this is one of those special treats guests cant wait to eat
These gems may take some time to complete, but well worth it when entertaining special guests I traditionally host a wine and dessert party at Christmas and this is one of those special treats guests cant wait to eat
- Carbohydrate 12.7521662503173 g
- Cholesterol 66.7285000155799 mg
- Fat 12.8043650042077 g
- Fiber 0.828437503576279 g
- Protein 2.70485625023313 g
- Saturated Fat 7.54159250261924 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (49g)
- Sodium 52.2157500043214 mg
- Sugar 11.923728746741 g
- Trans Fat 0.89756300021698 g
- Calories 170 calories
Step-by-step
- In a saucepan, mix water butter and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Add flour all at once, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture forms a ball that does not separate and that pulls from the sides of the pan.
- Cool for 10 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time beating with a wooden spoon after each addition until smooth. Drop by teaspoon sized balls onto a greased or parchement lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, split each profiterole for steam to escape. Cool on a wire rack and then fill.
- In a saucepan, bring heavy cream just to a boil.
- Place broken white chocolate pieces in a tempered glass bowl. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely dissolved. Cover and let the mixture cool in the refrigerator.
- Once cooled, use a hand mixer and whip on high speed until the chocolate/cream resemble a heavy whipped cream. It is recommended that you do this step several times to achieve the fluffy filling consistancy for filling the cream puffs.
- Fill the profiteroles and either lightly dust them with confectioners sugar, drizzle with icing or a contrasting chocolate.
The ingredient list hides the physics required to transform water, butter, flour, and eggs into hollow pastry shells. Choux pastry relies entirely on moisture conversion: water inside the batter turns to steam during the initial 400 degree bake, inflating the gluten network. Piercing each hot shell immediately upon removal from the oven releases residual internal vapor, preventing the hollow interior from collapsing into a dense interior as the pastry cools. Incorporating the eggs one at a time ensures the temperature drops sufficiently between additions, preventing premature protein coagulation that would otherwise yield flat, dense discs instead of puffed spheres. Stainless steel saucepans distribute heat evenly during the initial flour-cooking phase, whereas non-stick surfaces can sometimes insulate the mixture and prevent proper starch gelatinization.
Constructing the Ganache Filling
White chocolate requires careful handling because its high cocoa butter and milk solids content burns easily. Pouring cream heated just to a simmer over finely chopped chocolate melts the solids gently without seizing the emulsion. Cooling this mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator solidifies the fats necessary for stable aeration. Whip the chilled ganache using a hand mixer fitted with clean beaters, monitoring the texture closely until stiff peaks form. Over-whipping will break the emulsion, turning the mixture grainy and greasy, so stop the mixer immediately when the cream holds rigid peaks.Equipment Solutions
Standard pastry bags fitted with a narrow Bismarck tip facilitate clean filling injection through the base or side of each baked shell. Metal baking sheets lined with unbleached parchment paper provide the necessary thermal conductivity while preventing sticking without requiring excess grease. Heavy glass mixing bowls retain cold temperatures longer than plastic counterparts, which helps maintain the stability of the heavy cream during whipping.
