Profiteroles (Bignè di San Giuseppe - Italy)

The profiterol is an italian confectionery, that first appeared in the 1500-s in Italy. Later on it became famous in France thanks to Caterina de' Medici, II. Henric's wife, but its fame really blossomed towards the 18th century.

Ingredients:

Puffs

Whipping Cream

Chocolate Sauce

1 cup water

1 cup very cold heavy cream

½ cup cocoa powder

3 ½ ounces butter

3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cup of sugar

1¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon liquid vanilla extract

5 eggs (regular size)

3 cups of whole milk

4 tablespoons butter

3 ounces dark chocolate

Puffs

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil.
• Remove pan from heat.
• Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until fully blended.
• Continue mixing until the batter pulls away from the sides of the pan, forming a smooth, shiny ball.
• Cool for about 10 minutes.
• With a wooden spoon, fold the eggs in, one at a time, until fully incorporated.
• Line 2 half-sheet pans with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• Place puff batter in a pastry bag with a plain tip.
• Make puffs of about 1" in diameter on the half-sheets, spacing them 2" apart to allow expansion during baking process.
• Bake until golden brown (20-25 minutes).
• Remove from oven.
• Let them cool and dry for at least 20 minutes.
• Using a small, sharp knife, make a hole at the bottom or on the side of each puff.
• Reserve.

Whipping Cream

• With an electric mixer, beat heavy cream and sugar at low speed.
• Slowly increase speed to highest, whipping until light and fluffy (30 seconds).

Chocolate Sauce

• In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, combine cocoa, flour, sugar, and vanilla extract.
• Gradually pour milk in, continually stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps from forming.
• Add butter and dark chocolate. Stir until it boils.
• Remove from heat. Let it cool.

Assembling

• Fill puffs with fresh whipped cream.
• Dip dry & cooled puffs into cooled chocolate sauce, one at a time.
• Place on large dessert plate forming a pyramid (as shown in photo).
• Garnish with small whipped cream tufts.

Reference: https://www.itasteofitaly.com/profiteroles/

 Hungarian cream puffs (Képviselőfánk - Hungary)

The hungarian cream puffs are similar to the profiterol, with their baked dough. The Italian, or French culture spread to Hungary thanks to the Germans, probably around the 19th century.

Ingredients:

For the dough (it makes 18-20 shells):

For the filling:

200 ml (~3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) water

5 eggs

pinch of salt

500 ml (~2 cups) milk

100 g (~1/2 cup) lard

seeds of a half vanilla bean

200 g (~1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 tbsp) flour

zest of a half lemon

5 eggs

100 g (~3/4 cup) flour

100 g (~1/2 cup) sugar

50 g (~1/4 cup) butter

400 ml (~1 2/3 cups) whipping cream

2 tbsp powdered sugar

In a large pot, bring water, salt and lard to a rolling boil. Stir in flour until the mixture forms a ball. Turn off the heat and using a mixer or wooden spoon, whip in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each until the egg is fully incorporated. Spoon the dough into 18-20 piles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving lots of room between the dough piles for expansion. Let them rest for an hour at room temperature.

• Set a small pan of water on the oven floor and preheat the oven to 200°C / 392°F. Bake the pastry puffs for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C / 356°F and keep baking for 20 more minutes. Don't open the door during the baking process or the pastry will collapse! Transfer the shells on a wire rack and let them cool completely.
• Separate the eggs. Place flour, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla seeds and 5 egg yolks into a saucepan, and whisk together while adding milk in small batches. Over medium heat cook until the pastry cream thickens. Remove from the heat, immediately add butter and stir until it melts and fully incorporated. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently fold into the hot pastry cream. Let it cool.
• Whip cream with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar to soft peaks.
• When the pastries are cool, split and spoon vanilla cream in the middle, then pipe or spoon the whipped cream on top of the vanilla cream. Place on the tops.

Reference: https://zserbo.com/desserts/hungarian-cream-puffs-kepviselofank/