Chocolate cream puffs recipe
Airy chocolate flavored cream puffs filled with chocolate pastry cream
Servings 15 medium cream puffs
Ingredients
Chocolate Pastry Cream
- 2 Cups Half and half (480ml)
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch (7g)
- 3 Tablespoons Unsweetened cocoa powder (15g)
- 1/2 Cup Granulated sugar (100 g / 3.5 oz)
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1/3 Cup Chopped semi-sweet chocolate (60 g / 2 oz)
Cream puffs
- 1 Cup Water (240 ml/ 8 oz)
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter (113 g/ 4 oz)
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 TBS Sugar
- 3/4 Cup AP Flour (100 g / 3.5 oz)
- 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (25 g / 1 oz)
- 4 Large Eggs, at room temperature (225g /8oz)
Chocolate Glaze
- 2/3 Cup Chopped semi-sweet chocolate (45-56%) (120 g / 4 oz)
- 1/2 Cup Heavy cream (120 ml)
- 2 Tablespoons Canola oil or vegetable shortening
Instructions
Chocolate Cream Puffs
- Mix the eggs, cornstarch, and cocoa powder in a large bowl, then mix in 1/2 cup of the half and half. Place the bowl next to the stove.
- Pour the rest of the half-and-half into a large saucepan, add the sugar and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat, and pour eight tablespoons, one at a time, of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while stirring.
- Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and cook over medium-low while stirring until the cream is as thick as chocolate pudding. Or until the temperature has reached 180F (82C).
- Remove from heat and mix in the chopped chocolate.
- Run the chocolate pastry cream through a sieve, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cream Puffs
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line 2 cookie pans with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder together. Set aside
- Place the water, butter, salt, and sugar in a pan and over the stove, high heat.
- Allow the butter to melt, and the water starts to boil. Add the flour mixture.
- Vigorously mix the flour and water until a smooth dough forms and the bottom and sides of the pan are clean. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep mixing for additional 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and place in a bowl of a standing mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix the dough on medium for 3-4 minutes, or until cool to the touch.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix on medium until you have a smooth batter. The batter will go from a very messy, curdle mixture to a smooth and sticky dough.
- Use a cookie spoon; piping bag or two spoons to scop the dough over the prepared pans.
- Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 400F and baker for 10-15 minutes longer.
- Once it is baked, turn the oven off and allow the profiteroles to cool in the oven.
Chocolate Glaze
- Place the chopped chocolate in a deep bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a simmer, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Mix the chocolate and cream until smooth, then mix in the oil or shortening.
Assembling
- Use a knife to make a hole at the bottom of the cream puffs.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with the filling tip, fill it with the pastry cream, then use the hole you made to fill each cream puff.
- Dip the top of each cream puff in the chocolate. Serve immideately.
Notes
- When cooking the flour mixture for the choux pastry, keep in mind that this is so the water will evaporate or be absorbed into the flour, so do not rush this step.
- Do not open the oven mid-bake. It will cause the cream puffs to collapse.
- Fill the pasties only when completely cool, serve immediately, then store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- The pastry cream can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- You can freeze the pasties for up to 3 months in a freezable bag.
- The pastry cream should have the consistency of thin pudding when warm. If too thick, place it back in the saucepan and add one tablespoon of milk at a time over medium heat.