Chocolate Mint Profiteroles
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Choux filled with mint-infused whipped cream, dark chocolate sauce. Steps shuffled, some ingredients replaced. Gélatine swapped for agar-agar. Crème 35% slightly altered to 28%. Cocoa powder adjusted; honey used instead of corn syrup. Chill times shortened. Focus on textures, aromas for doneness. Practical tips for flaky choux, stable chantilly, shiny chocolate glaze. No nuts makes it allergy safe. Recipe split in three parts: mint chantilly, choux, chocolate sauce. Techniques explained with reasons. Kitchen mishaps addressed. Visual cues trump timer. Play with flavors by swapping mint for basil or different chocolates. Profiteroles look rustic yet refined, with a minty freshness and creamy bite.
Prep:
45 min
Cook:
40 min
Total:
Servings:
12 servings
#French pastry
#choux pastry
#mint dessert
#chocolate dessert
#agar-agar
#whipped cream
#baking tips
Profiteroles—classic but so many get them wrong. Choux dries out, cream melts, sauce dulls. Mint in chantilly adds fresh kick, cuts sweetness racing through chocolate. Tried agar-agar over gelatin once—firmer, less slippery texture, good for hold without ruining softness. Cocoa powder swapped to natural for sharper dark notes. Tossed in honey, softer than corn syrup, with floral note. Oven temps vary wildly; I rely on dough consistency and cracking shell for timing. If cream droops, it means you rushed chilling or whipped wrong. These little bombs are about layering textures—light, airy choux, creamy mint softness, punchy bittersweet sauce. Patience key, especially in chilling steps. Watch aroma changes during baking—burnt or doughy means restart. I chopped up process to keep surprises minimal. Past failures taught me—never trust clock alone.
Ingredients
Mint Chantilly
- 300 ml 28% whipping cream
- 30 g (2 tbsp) sugar
- 8 g (1/4 cup loosely packed) fresh mint leaves
- 1 g agar-agar powder
- 12 ml (4 tsp) cold water
Chocolate Choux
- 70 ml (1/3 cup) water
- 50 ml (2 tbsp plus 2 tsp) whole milk
- 35 g (2 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 6 g (1 tsp) sugar
- 1 small pinch fine sea salt
- 70 g (1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 12 g (1 tbsp) natural cocoa powder
- 3 medium eggs
Chocolate Sauce
- 120 g (4 oz) bittersweet chocolate 65% chopped
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) whole milk
- 50 ml (3 tbsp plus 1 tsp) 28% whipping cream
- 20 g (1 tbsp plus 1 tsp) honey
- Optional: pinch fine sea salt
About the ingredients
Cream is crucial—28% best for whipping, if you can’t find, substitute with 30%-35% just be mindful overwhipping risks. Agar-agar swells slowly but sets firmer, good alternative if avoiding gelatin. Mint leaves, fresh and vibrant, infuse aroma without bitterness. Cocoa powder natural, higher acidity enhances chocolate depth in choux shell. Honey brings body to sauce versus corn syrup’s neutral role, slight floral note unlike syrup. Butter unsalted keeps flavors balanced; salted masks chocolate nuances. Milk whole fat for richness; lower fat milk changes texture, choux loses tenderness. Eggs size matters—medium used for consistent hydration in dough. If fresh eggs missing, add teaspoon water per egg as moisture cushion. Honey can crystallize on storing sauce; reheat gently. Chocolate 65% balances bitterness with cream sweetness, swaps to 70% dark slightly harsher.
Method
Mint Chantilly
- 1. Pour 160 ml cream with sugar and mint into small saucepan. Heat to just under boil—watch carefully, foam forms. Remove from heat immediately. Cover, steep mint 8 minutes max—too long turns bitter.
- 2. Meanwhile, sprinkle agar-agar over cold water. Let it bloom fully, 6 minutes. Agar needs full hydration before melting.
- 3. Rewarm cream-mint briefly on low heat. Whisk agar-agar into warm liquid till dissolved; no visible grains. Add remaining 140 ml cream cold. Pour into bowl. Cover surface tightly with plastic wrap to avoid skin. Chill minimum 5 hours (or overnight) to fully set flavor and texture.
Chocolate Choux
- 4. Oven to 185°C (365°F)—hot enough for puff, not too fierce to burn. Middle rack best for even heat.
- 5. In heavy saucepan, bring water, milk, butter, sugar, salt near boil. Butter melts, liquid smooth. Off heat, dump flour and cocoa instantly. Stir vigorously with wooden spoon till paste forms, pulls from sides clean, maybe 2-3 minutes. No lumps, glossy but thick.
- 6. Back on medium heat, stir constantly to dry dough gently until it leaves thin crust on pan, about 4 minutes. Crucial step. Under-dried dough means soggy insides later.
- 7. Transfer dough to mixing bowl. Let cool 5 minutes to avoid cooking eggs on contact. Using paddle or wooden spoon, beat in 3 eggs one by one. First may look curdled; keep beating till smooth after third. Final texture: thick but dropping slowly off spoon in ribbons.
- 8. Fit piping bag with 1 cm star tip; fill with dough. Pipe 12 mounds spaced on parchment lined tray. Shiny mounds, even sizes.
- 9. Lightly brush with beaten egg for glaze; sets color and shine. Don’t overload or egg pools.
- 10. Bake 17 minutes at 185°C. Oven smell changes—smoky maybe, good sign. Then lower to 175°C (350°F), bake 18 more until puffed, tops less shiny, undersides rich brown but not burnt.
- 11. Turn off oven, prop door open with wooden spoon or spatula; leave choux inside 15-18 minutes. Perfect drying. Don’t rush or they’ll deflate.
- 12. Cool on rack 45-60 minutes minimum. Crisp shell but still hollow inside.
- 13. Slice off tops gently with serrated knife; reserve caps for assembly.
Chocolate Sauce
- 14. Chop chocolate into small pieces. Easy melt surface, even heat.
- 15. Heat milk, cream, honey, optional sea salt in small saucepan till just boiling. Off heat, pour over chocolate; don’t stir first—let sit 90 seconds.
- 16. Whisk smooth from center out. Sauce thickens glossy, velvety. Keep warm gently; over-heat dulls shine.
Assembly
- 17. Strain chantilly through fine sieve into bowl, pressing mint leaves well to extract max flavor and break fibers. Discard solids. Whip chantilly at medium speed to firm peaks but still soft texture—overwhip turns grainy.
- 18. Transfer chantilly into piping bag with star nozzle. Generous dollops into each puff. Press tops on carefully—don’t squash cream.
- 19. Arrange profiteroles on plates, drizzle warm chocolate sauce over, especially edges for drip effect.
- 20. Serve immediately or within hour. If waiting longer, chill chantilly separately, rewhip briefly before filling.
Tips and Fixes
- Oven inconsistent? Rotate trays halfway. Underpuffed? Dry dough more or oven hotter. Runny sauce? Add more chocolate or cool slightly. Whipped cream falling? Chill bowl and beaters well. No agar-agar? Use 2 leaves gelatin but flush them well to avoid texture loss.
- Substitutions: Mint can be basil or lemon balm for twist. Honey replaced with maple syrup. Milk can be lower fat but choux less tender then. Cocoa: Dutch processed for less acidity.
Cooking tips
Start mint infusion crisp; timing crucial—too long strains flavor to bitter. Agar-agar requires full swelling; skip or texture suffers. Cooling chantilly mix fully before whipping—it improves volume and stability. Dough drying on heat ensures hollow choux without sogginess—fail here, puffs collapse. Mixing eggs gradually key; rushing makes dough wet, no structure. Pipe consistent size mounds for even baking; egg wash seals surface for glossy, caramelized crust. Oven door open post bake, moisture escapes; do this or shells soggy inside. Chocolate sauce rest after pouring hot milk allows proper melting—skip and sauce grainy. Straining chantilly separates mint bits—smoothness matters in mouthfeel. Whip chantilly to soft peaks for best texture in puffs. Assembly delicate; overfilling bursts shells. Serve soon after assembling or cream wilts. Watch signals over times—listen for crackle, feel shell stiffen, see color deepen—all tell doneness better than timer alone.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Choux drying step crucial. Stir dough on heat until thin crust forms on pan bottom. Under-dried means soggy. Don’t rush it, watch dough texture. Visual shine dulls. Rhythm of stirring matters—constant, steady but gentle.
- 💡 Mint infusion timing. Heat cream just under boil to release aroma—too hot burns leaves, bitterness spoils cream. Steep no longer than 8 minutes—aroma peaks then flips bitter. Cover fast avoid evaporation loss.
- 💡 Eggs added cool down dough before mixing. If eggs warm or dough hot, scramble starts. Beat one at a time. First looks odd but keep going until smooth ribbons. Texture matters here for puff rise and light structure.
- 💡 Oven temps matter. Start high for initial puff, lower mid-bake prevents burning outside raw inside. Watch smell changes, shell cracking sound better than timer. Open door post bake prods moisture out, avoids collapse.
- 💡 Chocolate sauce heat gentle. Boil milk mix off heat, pour on chopped chocolate, wait 90 seconds. Stir center out slow. Overheating dulls shine, sauce grainy. Keep warm but never hot, slow creaming retains thickness.
Common questions
Why agar-agar over gelatin?
Agar blooms longer, sets firmer. Texture firmer but less slippery. Needs full hydration before melting. Different mouthfeel. Gelatin can slip in softness, agar holds shape better but watch texture balance.
Can I use different herbs instead of mint?
Yeah, basil or lemon balm work well. Swap leaves same weight. Aroma changes. Basil adds sweetness, lemon balm brighter note. Adjust steep times; stronger herbs less steeping. Experiment flavors but be wary bitterness.
What if choux dough soggy inside?
Usually dough undercooked on stove or oven temp too low. Stir longer over heat to dry; stops soggy. Oven too cool? Puff less. Also chill dough a bit before eggs for better structure. No shortcuts here.
How to store leftovers?
Chantilly can be chilled separately, rewhip before use. Choux best freshly baked but keep cool airtight max day. Sauce stores in fridge, rewarm gently. Avoid reheating whole profiterole; shells soften fast, cream melts.
