When I think of a sophisticated dessert from my childhood, it has got to be Cream Puffs made by my mother's younger sister, Mak Su. Growing up, I never saw or had them anywhere else, unless when she makes them. Small mountains of fluffed pastry, a creamy filling, dusted with confectioner's sugar. They were truly special.
It's one of those things I've always wanted to make but they somehow seem unachievable and daunting to the untrained baker like me. But very early this year, I listed them as one of my 10 to-do desserts in 2011 - a list I named 10 Personal Favourites/Must-Try-To-Bake Desserts 2011. Yeah, I am corny that way. Poyo! I guess I can cross one out of the list now.
I'm not sure if you can use the name Cream Puff and Profiteroles alternately, but growing up, I've always called them Cream Puffs. I am under the impression that Cream Puffs are dusted with icing sugar while Profiteroles are glazed with chocolate ganache. Someone out there, please correct me! But what's in a name if they both taste so soooo good, right?? They are, basically the same thing after all - made from the same choux pastry.
The recipe was taken from Joy of Baking, the pastry cream recipe is Martha's (refer here) while for the chocolate ganache, I mixed some whipping cream and couverture bittersweet chocolate.
The recipe says it yields 12 shells, but I got 20!! And they were not tiny!! With 20 they're just the right size...
Looking delish! These are also on my all-time list of things to make but have always seemed too daunting.
ReplyDeleteBtw, we call them cream puffs too ;-)
They do seem daunting, don't they? but trust me... they're right there with say, brownies in terms of difficulties, no kidding! you just need to do a bit more with preparing the pastry cream and ganache, but really...there's nothing to it, you'll see!! :)
ReplyDeleteThey look perfect Tina! Not sure about the name thing, but my guess would be profiteroles might be French? Call them what you will, they are still yummy :)
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