delicate limoncello profiteroles, a lovely summer dessert
If you are under the opinion it might be difficult to make profiteroles, then just think you will be making very soft cookies.
Cookies are not intimidating aren’t they? Even the most inexperienced baker can make cookies. So. You can make profiteroles.
They are a breeze to whip up and you don’t necessarily need equipment such as a pastry bag or syringe. I usually shape my choux with the help of two teaspoons and when they are ready I split them open with a small serrated knife which I then use to fill them. It’s less messy and as beautiful.
I have developed this recipe as a way to use leftovers. After a few days of cooking classes, dinners with friends and my daughter’s birthday I found my fridge overflowing with all sorts of goodies. I had a bowl of chantilly, a jar of lemon curd and enough eggs for an army. I also was dying to try to make choux pastry with my gluten free cake mix. To my delight I found out that it works just as well as wheat flour.
Recipe
For the profiteroles:
- 75g (2½oz) gluten-free cake mix or 00 wheat flour or pastry flour
- 50 g (3.5 tabsp) butter
- 125ml (1/2 cup) water
- 2 medium eggs
- grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- a pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 1 cup chantilly OR 1 cup pastry cream OR 125 ml (1/2 cup) heavy whipped cream
For the sauce:
- 4 tablespoon lemon curd, bought or homemade, see recipe below
- 2 teaspoon limoncello
Before you start, preheat the oven to 180°C/360°F/ and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Lemon curd:
Put 2 whole eggs, zest and juice of 2 lemons, 170 gr (3/4 cup) sugar and 30 gr ( 2 tabspoon) butter, cut into cubes, into a pan over low heat. Bring slowly to low boil. Remove from heat and strain immediately into a jam jar. Let it cool and close. Keep refrigerated.
Choux pastry:
Place the butter and water in a pan and melt over a gentle heat, then bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the flour, salt and sugar. Beat well, until the mixture forms a ball in the pan.
Allow to cool slightly, then gradually add one egg at the time, beating well after each addition. I actually transfer the ball of dough in the food processor, start the blades on high then add the eggs one at the time.
The dough needs to be a stiff dropping consistency. GF flour tends to absorb more liquid than wheat flour. As a consequence, it may be necessary to adjust the amount of eggs depending on the type of flour used. If using wheat flour, you might not need the whole second egg so whisk it and add it by the tablespoon.
Place small spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheet, about the size of a small walnut. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
When the profiteroles are well risen and golden brown remove from the oven. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Assemble dessert:
Using a serrated knife, make a slit in the side of each profiterole, then fill with cream or custard. If you prefer, pierce a small hole in the bottom of the pastry and fill them using a pastry syringe.
To make the sauce, stir the limoncello into the lemon curd to obtain a smooth syrup.
Fill the profiteroles with whipped cream and arrange on a serving plate. Any filling should not be added until the last possible moment because it will make the choux pastry soft. Just before serving, pour over the limoncello sauce.
Makes approx. 30 profiteroles. Serves 5-6
gluten-free profiteroles, just as perfect as the “normal” ones
