Chocolate Profiteroles

Ingredients

For the dough:

Butter 50 g

Salt 1 pinch

Vanilla sugar 2 packets

Flour 150 g

Cocoa powder 2 tbsp

Eggs 4 pcs

Baking powder 1 tsp

For the frosting:

33% cream 250 ml

Vanilla sugar 1 packet

Egg yolk 4 pcs

Sugar 100 g

Butter 250 g

Dark chocolate 150 g

Optional:

Icing sugar

Chocolate

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) with top and bottom heat. Bring 250 ml of water to a boil with the butter, salt, and vanilla sugar. Mix the flour with the cocoa powder and water, then stir vigorously with a wooden spatula. Continue stirring, without removing the pan from low heat, until the dough is lump-free, about 3 minutes.

Remove the dough from the heat and cool to 70°C (168°F). While constantly stirring, add the eggs one at a time. Do not beat! Mix thoroughly until all lumps are gone and the mixture is smooth. Finally, add the baking powder and mix well. The mixture should be viscous.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a round tip and pipe 20 walnut-sized balls onto the baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool the finished profiteroles and trim the tops off each one.

Warm the cream thoroughly with vanilla sugar. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks with the sugar, and whisk in the hot cream. Return everything to the saucepan and simmer, whisking constantly, over low heat until thickened (do not boil). Strain the mixture through a sieve and cool to room temperature. Beat the butter and gradually, whisking continuously, fold in the vanilla cream in a thin stream.

Melt the chocolate in a hot water bath, cool slightly, and mix with the cream. Place the finished cream in a pastry bag fitted with a metal star tip and fill the cake with the cream. Top the cream with a lid and dust with powdered sugar. Decorate with icing or melted chocolate, if desired.

Enjoy!