Bossche Bollen also known as Dutch Profiteroles, are giant cream puffs dipped into rich melted chocolate for a great taste of the Netherlands that requires minimal effort and minimal ingredients.
Table of Contents
What are profiteroles?
Profiteroles are a classic Dutch pastry known as Bossche bol are also called chocoladebol in their city of origin in the Netherlands, Hertogenbosch and the main difference between these and other classic profiterole recipes is they can be rather large, though there are cases, like the ones in this post where they are medium sized, making them easy to serve for special occasions. They consist of classic french pastry with a whipped cream filling, often vanilla-flavored and then typically drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Ingredients and substitutions for Profiteroles
- Flour: Plain or all purpose flour gives the choux pastry their firm crust as it bakes and helps form the famous crust that weโre aiming for with our pastry.
- Butter: Unsalted butter was used, though salted would work well here, this butter helps create a light dough.
- Eggs: The eggs helps to bind the ingredients and gives the pastry their structure during baking.
- Heavy Cream: The heavy cream creates a thick and whipped center for your cream puffs.
- Chocolate: A mix of dark and milk chocolate compliments the cream puff beautifully without being too sweet. For a better result youโll want a block of chocolate as opposed to chocolate chips or baking chocolate which tends to be lower quality and have more additives.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Profiteroles:
Step 1: Heat: The water and butter are heated until the butter melts and mixture boils, removing from the heat.
Step 2: Beat: Add the flour and sugar to the saucepan and whip swiftly with a wooden spoon until nothing is visible on the sides of the pan.
Step 3: Eggs a do: Add a quarter of the lightly beaten eggs and whip with the wooden spoon for a couple of minutes. Repeat until all combined and smooth!
Step 4: Pipe: Pipe the choux pastry dough with a wide nozzle onto your baking tray, allowing 2 inches between each pastry.
Step 5: Bake: Until lightly golden and dry to the touch. Set aside to cool fully.
Step 6: Fill: Whip the cream filling and pipe into the center.
Step 7: Chocolate: Make that chocolate sauce and dip the tops of the pastry into the chocolate and allow to drizzle off.
Step 8: Set: Place the profiteroles aside to set on a wire rack.
Step 9: Serve: Enjoy a cream puff (or two) with your favorite hot beverage.
FAQโs for the best Profiteroles
If you spoon the pastry onto your baking tray (instead of using a piping bag), smooth out the tops as this replicates the effect you would make with a piping bag so it doesnโt burn on top.
Making the choux pastry puffs for profiteroles is easier than you think! The recipe provides detailed instructions on how to make the light and airy choux pastry dough. From preparing the dough to piping and baking the puffs to perfection, we've got you covered.
The most common filling for Dutch profiteroles is a fluffy cream. This recipe includes a homemade cream filling that perfectly complements the choux pastry. However, you can get creative and customize to your liking, from vanilla pastry cream to homemade custard or even an ice cream filling. You don't even require a piping bag to fill them, opting to simply cut in half.
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Profiteroles (Bossche Bollen)
Ingredients
Choux pastry
- 60 grams / ยผ cup milk
- 60 grams / ยผ cup water
- 50 grams / 1.75 ounces butter
- 80 grams / ยฝ cup plain flour
- 110 grams / 2 large eggs room temperature
- ยผ teaspoon sea salt
- 5 grams / 1 teaspoon superfine/caster sugar
Filling
- 227 grams / 1 cup heavy cream
- 35 grams / โ cup confectionerโs/icing sugar
Topping
- 100 grams / 3.5 ounces dark chocolate roughly chopped
- 50 grams / 1.75 ounces milk chocolate roughly chopped
Instructions
Choux pastry
- Preheat your oven to 180C/350 on traditional bake.
- Place the milk, water and butter into a saucepan on medium heat, until it comes to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and sift in the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine until smooth.
- Remove from the heat and add in one egg, beating with the wooden spoon until well combined and smooth.
- Add the second egg and combine until smooth.
- Add the salt and sugar and stir until combined.
- Spoon into a piping bag with a wide nozzle and press straight down, pulling upwards as you pipe a portion of the dough onto your baking tray, allowing 2 inches between the dough.
- Bake for 45 minutes until lightly golden brown and dry to the touch.
- Set aside to cool completely.
Filling
- Place the heavy cream and sugar into a bowl and beat on medium until stiff peaks are reached.
- Spoon into a piping bag and press into the base of your crisp pastry shell.
- Hold the pastry in your palm and pipe the cream until you can feel it is filled.
- Repeat with the remaining pastries until all are filled with the cream.
Topping
- Place the chocolate into a small bowl and melt in a double boiler over low heat or in a microwave until the chocolate is smooth.
- Set aside to cool for 5 minutes until the chocolate is lightly warm.
- Dip the top โ โs of your pastry into the warm chocolate sauce and swirl as you lift out to lightly drain any excess.
- Repeat with your remaining pastries and set aside for the chocolate to set.
- Chill until ready to serve.
- Serve up and dig in!
Video
Notes
- Chocolate: A mix of dark and milk chocolate compliments the cream puff beautifully without being too sweet. For a better result youโll want a block of chocolate as opposed to chocolate chips or baking chocolate which tends to be lower quality and have more additives.
- Customizing the filling: You can get creative and customize the filling to your liking. From vanilla pastry cream to homemade custard or even an ice cream filling. You don't even require a piping bag, instead you could halve the pastries and fill with your desired filling instead.
- You donโt need a piping bag to create these: Two tablespoons will work here, if you donโt have a piping bag. If you spoon the pastry onto your baking tray, simply smooth out the tops as this replicates the effect you would make with a piping bag so it doesnโt burn on top. See how to shape with tablespoons at minute 4:36 here.
Nutrition
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Made it and loved it?
If you have made this recipe, it would mean so much to leave a review below to help more people find this.
Anonymous
so good it made me inlove with it
Sylvie Taylor
So great to hear! Thanks so much for your comment