Chocolate Profiteroles Christmas Pudding

We have teamed up with Sanj Cooks who has created a unique spin on the traditional Christmas pudding with these delicious Chocolate Profiteroles Christmas Pudding. 

What you'll need 

Profiteroles:

• 100g unsalted butter
• 250ml water
• 150g plain or all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• Pinch of salt

 

Brandy Creme Patissiere:

• 300ml whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped out
• 80g caster sugar
• 6 medium egg yolks
• 20g plain flour
• 20g cornflour
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 150g unsalted butter at room temperature

 

Additional ingredients:

• 2 x 90g Smooth Operator milk chocolate bar
• 1 x 90g Great White chocolate bar
• 80 ml double cream
• Green ready to roll icing
• Handful of fresh raspberries

 

Get making!

1. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat. When melted, add the water and bring to a rapid simmer.
2. While the liquid is simmering, add the flour and pinch of salt and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a ball, approximately 1 minute.
3. Remove the dough from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
5. Lightly grease 2 large baking trays with butter and then line with baking paper.
6. Add 1 egg in to the pastry dough and beat until combined. Repeat this process with the remaining 3 eggs, 1 at a time ensuring each egg is combined well.
7. Transfer the dough in to a piping bag with a 12 – 15mm round tip
8. Pipe blobs of the pastry dough approximately 2 tbsp fitting around 12 – 14 blobs on each tray. Wet your ginger and pat down any peaks to form a dome and avoid the peak from burning.
9. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown

To make the brandy crème patisserie:

1. In a medium pan, warm the milk with vanilla seeds and pod and half of the sugar over a gentle heat until it begins to steam – do not simmer or boil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar using a whisk. When the mixture is pale and the sugar has dissolved, whisk in the flour and cornflour.
3. Pour in half of the warm milk into the egg mixture and whisk until combined, and then pour this mixture back in to the remaining milk in the pan.
4. Whisk the mixture for approximately 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened into a thick custard.
5. Remove the vanilla pod and then pour the mixture in a medium bowl and cling film to avoid a skin. Allow the custard to cool at room temperature until cold.
6. Add the custard into a food processor and pour in the brandy and pulse until combined.

Chocolate sauces

1. Place the cream and milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave 3 x 30 seconds, stirring in between, until incorporated. Cool from warm.
2. Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave 2 x 20 seconds stirring in between, until incorporated. Cool from warm.
3. Using a knife or a stencil, cut out shapes of holly leaves from the green icing

To finish:

1. Prick a small hole in each of the cooled choux buns.
2. Scrape the custard into a thin nozzle piping bag and pipe a small amount of custard in to each one.
3. Dip half of the choux bun into the milk chocolate and set on a tray. Carefully drizzle a small amount of melted white chocolate on top.
4. Layer the holly leaf on top and add a raspberry to replicate a Christmas pudding!