Indulge in this ultimate festive dessert with these Eggnog Profiteroles! Light and airy choux pastry filled with creamy eggnog pastry cream, topped with a luscious glaze. Perfect for Christmas gatherings or holiday parties.
Every year, I love to create a unique recipe to celebrate the festive season, something that’s not only showstopping but also irresistibly delicious. This year, I’ve paired two of my favorite things, and the result is pure magic! Light and elegant choux pastry filled with a creamy, festive eggnog filling. To keep them family-friendly, I’ve made these eggnog profiteroles non-alcoholic, so everyone can enjoy them. For a final touch, I’ve added a luscious glaze and festive sprinkles. Serve them stacked in a stunning tower or arrange them into a beautiful holiday wreath. Either way, they’re guaranteed to impress!
What are profiteroles?
A profiterole is small ball shaped pastry made from pâte à choux (choux pastry) which is then filled with a generous amount of pastry cream, whipped cream or ice cream. The choux pastry is a crisp pastry with a fluffy and airy interior, as it is hollow. This is where all the delicious filling goes. You can either slice the profterole and fill it. Or else, you can fill it from underneath or the sides with a piping bag.
The name “profiterole” originates from the French word profiter, which means “to benefit” or “to profit.” The term historically referred to a small gift or treat, often in the form of a bonus meal or delicacy given to servants or people of lower status in medieval times. Over time, it evolved to signify small, indulgent pastries that provided a “little reward” or pleasure. By the 16th century, the term was associated with filled small choux pastries, and eventually, it came to represent the sweet dessert we know today.
Difference between profiteroles and cream puffs
They are both made from choux pastry and similarly shaped. However, they are not the same. Cream puffs are traditionally filled with sweetened whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar. Profiteroles can be filled with various fillings ranging from sweet to savoury. Moreover, they are topped with something rich and decadent such as chocolate sauce, caramel, and icing glaze, etc. Lastly, cream puffs are served as a simple dessert, whereas profiteroles are more elaborate as they are often stacked on top of each other or even with a sauce on the side; they make more for a show stopping dessert.
What is Eggnog?
Eggnog is a rich, creamy holiday drink made with milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and warm spices like nutmeg. It is often served during the festive season, where it can be enjoyed plain or spiked with alcohol such as rum, bourbon, or brandy. Its origins trace back to medieval Europe, where it was a luxurious drink for special occasions. Today, eggnog is a beloved holiday classic, celebrated for its indulgent texture and cozy flavour. It is also a perfect addition to bakes for the festivities.
How to make the choux pastry (Pâte à Choux) for the these Eggnog Profiteroles?
The choux pastry is made with basic ingredients. However, it has a tricky method which will make or break your end result. The choux pastry starts by cooking the dough. First up, bring the to a boil the water, butter, salt and, if needed, sugar. Once this mixture starts to boil, remove from the heat and add all the flour at once. Make sure to incorporate the flour completely. Here, the dough starts taking shape. Transfer the saucepan back to medium heat. Stirring constantly, continue cooking the dough. Be careful to not let the dough stick at the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes.
Once the dough is cooked, remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. You can either use a stand mixer or else do it by hand with a whisk or spatula. Mix the dough for a few seconds so that the dough cools slightly. Add an egg and mix in the dough. The dough will split at first, but do not panic just continue mixing, the dough/batter will get better soon. Continue adding an egg at a time. The dough is ready when a V-shaped is formed on the whisk when you lift it up.
How to cook the profiteroles?
Cooking the profiteroles can be a bit tricky, especially since not all ovens or appliances work the same. It’s important to learn your appliance and how it cooks best. In addition, an inside oven thermometer is always a plus to have as this will guarantee that you will always have success.
Oven
To cook the choux puffs in the oven, start by preheating the oven to 220°C or 425°F. Pipe the choux pastry on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Between each profiterole leave a good amount of space, as they puff up quite a lot. Start baking the profiteroles at this temperature for about about 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C or 350°F and let cook for another 30 minutes. During this baking time do not open the oven door as this might cause them to deflate. Once they are done, take them out and place on a cooling rack. While still hot, I like to poke some holes at the bottom of the choux puff to let the steam out.
Air fryer
Baking the profiteroles in an air fryer is slightly easier, although it won’t give a crispy shell as the oven. However, they still turn out so delicious! Ideally, divide the batch into 2, or more. This will greatly depend on how big your airfryer basket is. Pipe 10 choux puffs on two separate parchment papers, cut to the size of your air fryer basket. Bake the profiteroles for 15 minutes at 180°C or 350°F. Once done, take them out and place on a cooling rack. While still hot, I like to poke some holes at the bottom to let the steam out.
FAQs
Can I put sugar in my choux pastry?
Of course! I decided not to add sugar as I don’t like my choux pastry too sweet. Especially as the cream in these eggnog profiteroles is quite sweet. However, if you want you can add a tablespoon of sugar to the choux pastry. To incorporate it in the dough, simply dissolve it in the water, butter and salt mixture.
For what can I use choux pastry?
If you learn how to make choux pastry you can make several desserts. Apart from profiteroles, you can also make eclairs, cream puffs, churros, croquembouche, French cruller donuts, choux beignets, and gougères.
Can I make them as eclairs instead?
Of course! The choux pastry can be piped to your liking, check out my classic eclair recipe here. As profiteroles, eclairs can be filled with any delicious filling you want! However, please note that the recipe here might make more pastry cream than needed for eclairs.
Can I make these Eggnog profiteroles boozy?
Yes! Before cooling the pastry cream, add a splash of either rum or brandy!
How to store these profiteroles?
Filled choux puffs are best served and eaten on the same day. However, if you have any leftover filled profiteroles, I would store them in an airtight container in the fridge for not more than a day. Empty choux puff shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days. Fill the profiteroles closer to serving them so that they retain their optimal shape and taste!
Eggnog Cream Puffs
Ingredients
Choux pastry
- 125 ml water
- 60 g plain flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 65 g butter
- 2 eggs room temp
Eggnog pastry cream
- 500 ml eggnog
- 30 g cornstarch
- 50 g sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
Eggnog Icing
- 100 g icing sugar
- 15 ml eggnog
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- sprinkles
Instructions
Preparing the Eggnog Pastry Cream
- In a small saucepan with the heat turned off, combine together all the pastry cream ingredients. Cook your cream filling on medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens. It is important not to move away from the cream while cooking as once it thickens you have to remove it from the stove immediately or it will burn. Place the cream into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure that the plastic wrap is touching the cream. Leave it to cool down in the fridge for at least an hour.
Preparing the Choux Pastry
- In a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil the water, butter and salt. Remove the saucepan. Add all the flour and stir well until all the flour is incorporated.
- Transfer the saucepan back on medium heat, and cook the dough for about 2 minutes. Stirring constantly to make sure that none of the dough sticks to the saucepan. Transfer the cooked dough to a large bowl.
- Mix the dough slightly so that it cools down a bit. You can either do these steps in a stand mixer or by hand.
- Start adding an egg at a time to the dough. Before adding another egg make sure that the previous one is fully incorporated. In addition, do not be alarmed, but at first when you add the egg, the dough will break. Just continue mixing until a smooth dough is soon achieved.
- Fill a large piping bag with the dough. You can either use a large round tip or a french star tip.
Air Fryer Cooking Method
- Prepare two parchment papers the size of your air fryer basket. On each one pipe 10* equal size puffs. It's important to leave a good amount of space between them as they will puff. Brush the top with water.
- Bake them in the air fryer at 180°C or 350°F for 15 minutes. Once they are ready, place them on a cooling rack. With a toothpick, do two little holes at the bottom of the eclair so that the steam can escape.
Oven Cooking Method
- Before starting the choux pastry, preheat the oven to 220°C or 425°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Pipe 20 equal size puffs. It's important to leave a good amount of space between them as they will puff. Brush the top with water.
- Bake them for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C or 350°F, it's important to not open the oven door. Continue cooking for around 30 minutes.
- Once they are ready, place them on a cooling rack. With a toothpick, do two little holes at the bottom of the puff so that the steam can escape.
Preparing the Eggnog Icing
- In a bowl, add the icing sugar, eggnog and vanilla, stir until completely combined. Add more eggnog if the icing is too thick, or more icing sugar if too thin.
Assembly
- When ready to fill the puffs. Fill a piping bag with the pastry cream and pipe a generous amount, enough to fill each shell. Dip the cream puffs in the prepared icing and add some festive sprinkles on top.
Notes
- How many you pipe will vary depending how big your airfryer basket is. I have a Cosori 5.5L and manage to fit 10 small cream puffs.
If you have any questions, feedback or comments on this recipe, please leave a comment below. Please also rate this recipe by double clicking on the stars below. If you did make this recipe, tag @apronandwhisk and hashtag #apronandwhisk, as I’m curious to see what you create!
Don’t forget to subscribe to the mailing list down below so to receive the recipe updates straight to your mailbox!
Leave a Reply