Ferrero Rocher Profiteroles

A stack of chocolate hazelnut profiteroles on a platter.

5 from 6 votes

Ferrero Rocher Profiteroles

An update of an old classic profiterole, these pastries are filled with a hazelnut cream and dusted with roasted hazelnuts. This is a fun spin on my profiterole recipe.

You can make the choux pastry three days in advance and you can make the filling 1 to 2 days in advance.

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: cream puffs, ferrero rocher profiteroles, sweets

Servings: profiteroles

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

Choux Pastry Dough

1 cup water (227 grams)
8 tablespoons butter (113 grams)
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups all purpose flour (150 grams)
4 large eggs

For the Ferrero-Rocher Filling

16 ounces cream cheese
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup Torani hazelnut syrup
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup toasted hazelnuts coarsely ground
½ cup whole toasted hazelnuts

For the chocolate glaze

12 ounces good quality chocolate chopped
8 ounces heavy cream
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts coarsely ground for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux)

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter has fully melted and the mixture reaches a boil.
Take the pan off the heat, then add all of the flour at once. Using a sturdy spoon or a stiff spatula, stir the mixture vigorously until well combined.
Place the saucepan back on medium heat and stir continuously for about one to two minutes. The mixture should become smooth and start to steam. At this point, the batter will appear quite thick and have a shiny texture.
Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The dough needs to cool down to between 125°F to 135°F so it doesn’t make scrambled eggs when you add the eggs.
If you don’t have a thermometer, guess the temperature with your finger…the dough should feel fairly warm but you should be able to hold your finger in it for a few seconds.
Once the dough reaches 125°F to 135°F, beat the eggs in (either by hand or with an electric mixer). Wait until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one.
After you add each egg, the pastry will look like it splits apart but it will eventually come together if you keep beating it. Once all the eggs are incorporated, scrape down the bowl and beat it for 5 to 10 more seconds.

Pipe and Bake the Profiteroles

Fit a pastry bag with a #6 round tip or cut the end of a pastry bag making a ½ inch cut. Spoon the pastry dough into the bag.
Pipe small mounds (about the size of a tablespoon) onto the baking sheet. Space the mounds about 1-½ inches apart. You should get 24 to 30 mounds. Wet your fingers and tap down any points on the mounds so they look like smooth, round balls.
Bake for 20 minutes to 30 minutes or until golden brown. If you pipe larger mounds, you will need to bake them longer. Keep an eye on them through the oven window and don’t open the door until they turn golden brown.
When they turn golden brown, you can open the door and check them. They should feel firm and hold their shape when you poke them with your finger. if they feel soft and sink when you poke them, let them bake a little longer.
Remove them from the oven and quickly poke a small hole in the bottom of each profiterole to let the steam out. Place them back on the baking tray and return them to the oven.
Turn the oven off and prop the door open with the handle of a wooden spoon. Leave them in the oven for 30 minutes with the door cracked. This will allow them to dry out and get crispy and have the right texture to hold up to the pastry cream.

To Make the Hazelnut Cream filling:

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, sugar, salt and hazelnut syrup and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds to combine.
Stop the machine and scrape down the sides and the bottom. Remove the paddle attachment and attach the whisk attachment. Add the whipping cream to the mixture and turn the speed to low to stir together and slowly increase the speed to high and whip to a firm consistency.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a spatula, fold in the coarsely ground toasted hazelnuts. Transfer the hazelnut cream filling mixture to another bowl that is easy to scoop from when filling the cavities of the profiteroles.
Fill each of the hollow shells, tops and bottoms, with the hazelnut cream mixture adding one or two roasted hazelnuts to the bottom portion, put the top portion onto the bottom portion, pressing down gently.

To make the chocolate glaze:

Add the chopped chocolate to a medium-size bowl and reserve
Add the cream to a small saucepan and bring just to a boil, then pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate pieces and allow to sit for five minutes. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and glossy. Allow to sit and cool for 20 or 30 minutes to thicken enough so the glaze adheres to the profiteroles.
If it becomes too thick, set the dish in some hot water and stir until it loosens up to the proper consistency. Spoon, or dip each cream puff with the chocolate glaze and sprinkle with additional chopped hazelnuts.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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