A special treat, Gluten Free Profiteroles. Episode 3.5

Travelling through France in 2014, it was so very hard watching my partner Myles, taste test the wonderful French pastries and cakes.Sometimes being coeliac really sucks!

On our first day in Paris at the end of our trip, we headed out to a cafe I had read an article about, that sadly is nolonger in Paris. It was 10 metro stops from our hotel, but so worth the trek. As I stood there looking at the large display cabinet, filled with so many wonderful treats, I started to cry. The wonderful shop assistant, leaned over the counter and handed me a box of tissues. "Don't worry, it happens all the time". Once I had pulled myself together, I was able to choose a delicious eclair filled with a chocolate custard. It was perfect with an espresso, and I cried again!

Since my return, I have been determined to make these work. And I'm pretty sure I have perfected the choux pastry.

There are some limitations with the gluten free version. They need to be eaten on the day you make them. They just don't keep. However, I have successfully frozen the uncooked shapes, and then cooked them up when guests arrive.

Since filming my video I have mastered Crème Pâtissière, which is a rich, not too sweet custardy filling used in France to fill the eclairs and profiteroles. I have included the recipe here and updated the chocolate icing. This amended chocolate forms a crisp coating without being too thick.

To see this recipe on Youtube, go to the link below the recipe.

Recipe
Makes: 16

Pastry

• 60 g unsalted butter

• Pinch salt

• ¾ cup water

• 125 g gluten free plain flour

• 3 eggs

Chocolate icing

• 150 g dark chocolate

• 25 g unsalted butter

• 125 ml thickened cream

Crème pâtissière

• 250 ml milk

• 1 vanilla pod, split

• 50 g castor sugar

• 3 egg yolks

• 10 g plain flour (GF)

• 10 g cornflour

Preheat oven to 180°C fan/200°C.

Combine salt, butter and water in medium sized pot. Bring to the boil and remove from heat.

Add all the flour at once, and stir vigorously. Return to a gently heat, and continue to stir until mixture begins to leave the sides of the pan.

Allow mixture to cool slightly.

Transfer mixture to food processor, or electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

Spoon heaped tablespoons or pipe using a wide nozzle, onto paper lined baking trays.

Bake for 40 minutes until golden on the outside and dry in the centre.

Allow to cool on the tray before cooling on a wire rack.

When cold, fill with whipped cream or Crème Pâtissière.

Dip the top into chocolate mixture.

Chocolate icing:

Gently heat cream to just boiling. Pour over chocolate and stir until melted. Add butter and stir until glossy.

Crème pâtissière

Scrape vanilla seeds into the milk in a small saucepan. Bring milk and vanilla pod to a simmer. Remove from the heat and remove vanilla pod.

In a small bowl, whisk sugar, egg yolks and flours together.

Pour ⅓ of milk onto the egg mixture and whisk until well combined.

Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk and continue to whisk over a medium heat.

Cook until thickened. It will go lumpy - just keep whisking and it will go smooth and glossy. Cook for a further 2 minutes then remove from the heat.

Place in a bowl with a close cover of cling film to prevent a skin forming, and chill in the fridge until required.

NB:

Uncooked choux pastry piped into required shapes can be frozen. To bake from frozen, bake at 200°C fan/220°C for 10 minutes, then 180°C fan/200°C for 30 minutes.

updated September 2020

revised April 2023