Profiteroles (GF) (LF)

Profiteroles are always a delicious favourite. These are gluten-free and filled with dairy-free creme patisserie, topped with a drizzle of melted chocolate, strawberry coulis and served with a side of strawberries... how can you go wrong? I made these for dessert when I visited my brother and sister-in-law for dinner and they loved them. As an experiment I made pear creme patisserie and filled a few with that for a more indulgent treat.

Profiteroles

 
INGREDIENTS:
Profiteroles:
55g margarine
70g rice flour
125ml water
2 eggs

Soy Creme Patisserie:
450ml soy milk
55g caster sugar
55g cornflour
2 eggs


METHOD:
For the creme patisserie:
Whisk all ingredients in a pan and cook over a medium heat until thick.
Remove from heat and cover with non-stick baking paper.
Refrigerate for at least an hour.

To make pear creme patisserie:
Stew 3 pears until soft, puree and add to creme patisserie with 1/4 cup of softly whipped cream.

Creme Patisserie, Pear Puree and Cream

 For the Profiteroles:
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
Heat water and margarine for profiteroles in a pan.
Once boiling, remove from heat.
Add flour and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves the side of the pan.

Profiterole Mix - Ready for eggs to be added

Beat eggs in one at a time.

Profiterole Mix - Just after 2 eggs have been added

 Continue beating until mix is smooth and shiny.
Place mixture into a piping bag and pipe rounds onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.
Bake for 25 minutes or until puffed up and golden.

Profiteroles - Just out of the oven

When ready, remove profiteroles from oven and quickly pierce the base of them with a cross.

Profiterole - Cross in the base

Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Once cooled fill the profiteroles with the creme patisserie.
Serve with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of melted chocolate and strawberry coulis.

Enjoy!


Tips and tricks:
- Just omit the cream if you want to make dairy-free creme patisserie

Creme Patisserie and Pear Puree

 - Leave about 5cm between each piped profiterole to give them room to expand
- If you're after a rustic look, just drop tablespoonfuls of mix onto the tray rather than piping
- The cross in the base after cooking the profiteroles is to allow steam to escape, preventing them from going soggy so you can just stab a hole in the side if you aren't too worried about presentation.