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Shatteringly crisp choux puffs split open to reveal sunshine-bright lemon curd and jewel-toned raspberries, a French classic transformed into the perfect finish for lazy summer afternoons on the porch.
Choux pastry intimidates home cooks for no good reason. The French figured out centuries ago that butter, water, flour, and eggs could produce something miraculous when combined properly. The technique is straightforward. Heat your liquid, add flour all at once, beat in eggs one at a time. That's the whole secret. The dough does the rest in a hot oven, puffing into golden shells with hollow centers begging to be filled.
I've filled profiteroles with everything from ice cream to chocolate mousse to whipped cream, but nothing suits a summer afternoon quite like lemon curd. Its bright acidity cuts through the richness of the pastry. The color alone, that deep yellow of well-made curd, looks like bottled sunshine. Add raspberries and you have a dessert that belongs on every porch table from Charleston to San Diego.
This is make-ahead cooking at its finest. The curd improves after a day in the refrigerator. The choux puffs can be baked that morning and crisped briefly before filling. Your guests arrive to find you relaxed, a plate of profiteroles appearing as if by magic. That's the generous spirit of summer entertaining: effort invisible, pleasure apparent.
Quantity
1 cup
Quantity
8 tablespoons
cut into pieces
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1 cup
Quantity
5 total
4 for dough, 1 for egg wash
Quantity
4
Quantity
3/4 cup
Quantity
1/2 cup
about 3 lemons
Quantity
2
zested
Quantity
6 tablespoons
cut into small pieces
Quantity
pinch
Quantity
2 cups
Quantity
for dusting
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| water | 1 cup |
| unsalted buttercut into pieces | 8 tablespoons |
| granulated sugar | 1 teaspoon |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| all-purpose flour | 1 cup |
| large eggs4 for dough, 1 for egg wash | 5 total |
| large egg yolks | 4 |
| granulated sugar | 3/4 cup |
| fresh lemon juiceabout 3 lemons | 1/2 cup |
| lemonszested | 2 |
| cold unsalted buttercut into small pieces | 6 tablespoons |
| fine sea salt | pinch |
| fresh raspberries | 2 cups |
| powdered sugar (optional) | for dusting |
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl near your stove. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Place over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and reaches 170°F. This takes 8 to 10 minutes. Do not rush it. High heat will scramble your yolks.
Remove from heat immediately and pour through the strainer into the waiting bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract every bit. Add the cold butter pieces and stir until completely melted and incorporated. The butter gives the curd its silky body. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and heat to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Have your flour measured and ready beside the stove. Once you start the panade, you cannot stop to measure.
Combine the water, 8 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until butter melts completely, then let it come to a rolling boil. The moment it boils, dump in all the flour at once and immediately begin stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir vigorously. The mixture will look rough at first, then come together into a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Continue stirring over medium heat for another 2 minutes. You're driving off excess moisture. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan, and the dough will have a slightly matte appearance. The kitchen will smell faintly of cooked flour. Transfer the dough to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or to a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Let it cool for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to release steam.
Beat 4 eggs together in a measuring cup. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs in a slow, steady stream. The dough will look broken and slippery at first. Keep beating. It will come together into a smooth, glossy paste that holds soft peaks when you lift the paddle. This takes 2 to 3 minutes of beating. The final consistency should be pipeable but not runny, falling slowly from a spoon in thick ribbons.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip, or use a sturdy zip-top bag with the corner cut off. Pipe mounds about 1 1/2 inches wide and 1 inch tall onto the prepared sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. You should get about 12 per sheet. Beat the remaining egg with a teaspoon of water and brush lightly over each mound. Use a wet fingertip to smooth down any peaks, which would burn before the puffs finish baking.
Place both sheets in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 375°F. Bake for 25 minutes without opening the door. The high initial heat creates steam inside each puff, forcing it to expand. Opening the door lets that steam escape and your puffs will collapse. After 25 minutes, the shells should be golden brown and feel light when lifted. If they still feel heavy, continue baking in 5-minute increments.
Remove from oven and immediately pierce the bottom of each puff with a paring knife to release trapped steam. Return to the turned-off oven with the door propped open and let them sit for 10 minutes. This dries out the interiors so they stay crisp longer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Transfer the chilled lemon curd to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Cut each puff in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Pipe a generous tablespoon of curd into the bottom half. Nestle 3 or 4 raspberries into the curd, pointed ends up. Replace the top half, pressing gently so the filling shows around the edges.
Arrange filled profiteroles on a serving platter. Dust lightly with powdered sugar through a fine-mesh strainer. Scatter any remaining raspberries around the platter. Serve within an hour for the crispest shells, though they remain delicious for several hours if refrigerated.
1 serving (about 120g)
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