Profiteroles

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 200°C / 390°F. Line two baking sheets.

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2. Bring the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a full rolling boil in a saucepan — the butter must be fully melted before it boils, so start it from cold.

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3. Tip in all the flour at once and beat hard with a wooden spoon. Keep beating over medium heat for 2 minutes until the paste comes away cleanly and films the base of the pan.

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4. Transfer to a bowl and beat for 2 minutes to cool. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating fully between additions, until the paste falls from the spoon in a reluctant V. You may not need all the egg.

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5. Pipe 4 cm mounds, well spaced, and flatten any peaks with a wet fingertip.

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6. Bake 20 minutes without opening the door, then reduce to 180°C / 350°F and bake 15 minutes more until deep gold and light.

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7. Pierce the base of each bun immediately with a skewer and return them to the switched-off oven, door ajar, for 10 minutes to dry out. Cool completely.

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8. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla to soft peaks and pipe it into each bun through the hole.

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9. Melt the sauce ingredients together over low heat until glossy. Stack the buns and pour the hot sauce over at the table.

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Chef’s Tips

• Do not open the oven in the first 20 minutes. A draught of cool air collapses choux irreversibly.
• Judge the egg by consistency, not quantity. Egg sizes vary and a too-wet paste spreads into flat discs.
• Unfilled buns freeze perfectly. Refresh from frozen at 180°C / 350°F for 5 minutes and they crisp up as good as new.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.

Pairing Suggestions

• A small glass of Armagnac or Cognac
• Espresso
• Fresh raspberries to cut the richness

Storage & Reheating

Unfilled buns keep 1 day in an airtight tin or 2 months frozen. Once filled they soften within a few hours, so fill just before serving.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.