Profiteroles au Chocolat (Choux Buns with Cream and Chocolate Sauce)

Choux pastry

• 125 ml Whole milk
• 60 g Unsalted butter
• 10 g Caster sugar
• 75 g Plain flour
• 2 Egg

Cream filling

• 250 ml Double cream
• 20 g Caster sugar

Chocolate sauce

• 120 g Dark baking chocolate
• 120 ml Whole milk
• 15 g Caster sugar
• 15 g Unsalted butter

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a baking tray and set aside.
2. Put the milk, butter and sugar for the choux into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts, then bring to a brisk simmer. Tip in the flour all at once and beat hard with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball and leaves a thin film on the base of the pan.
3. Cook the dough over a low heat for 1 minute, beating constantly, to dry it out slightly. Tip into a mixing bowl and leave to cool until just warm to the touch.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth and glossy after each addition. The finished paste should be thick but pipeable and fall from the spoon in a slow V shape.
5. Spoon the choux paste into a piping bag and pipe 12 small mounds onto the tray, leaving space for expansion. Bake for 20 minutes until well risen and deep golden, then reduce the oven to 180°C (355°F) and bake for 8 to 10 minutes more to dry the centres.
6. Remove the buns from the oven and make a small hole in the base of each one to let steam escape. Return them to the switched-off oven for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a rack.
7. Whisk the double cream with the sugar until it holds soft peaks. Keep chilled while you make the sauce.
8. For the chocolate sauce, warm the milk and sugar in a saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Add the chocolate and butter, remove from the heat, and whisk until smooth and glossy.
9. Fill the cooled profiteroles with the whipped cream through the hole in the base, using a piping bag. Pile onto plates and pour over warm chocolate sauce to serve.

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