Gluten-free profiteroles! That are FODMAP friendly too. Golden, puffed choux pastry, filled with a sweet vanilla spiked cream, crunchy shards of caramel coated macadamia nuts, all finished with a rich, dark chocolate sauce.
A total dream of a dessert, choux pastry and gluten-free choux pastry for that matter, is so much easier to make than (I think) people think. I hope this recipe shows you so. Once you’ve nailed gluten-free choux you can adapt the recipe to however you like too! Make eclairs, different flavour filled choux buns, savoury choux…
Recipe notes:
- This recipe hasn’t been tested for FODMAPs, but uses FODMAP friendly ingredients and should fit in with FODMAP limits. 30g of dark chocolate is low FODMAP, so stick to 5 gluten-free profiteroles if you need too. I follow the Monash University app data to create FODMAP friendly recipes – if unsure as always, please ask your dietician or GP
- Unfilled buns will last for a couple of days in an airtight container – once filled, eat as soon as possible. You can also freeze the cooked, unfilled choux buns and defrost at room temp. Best refreshed in a warm oven
- Store any leftover brittle in a separate airtight container, to prevent it from going sticky
Ingredients
160g gluten free plain flour blend
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
125g lactose free whole milk
125g water
125g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon fine salt
4 to 5 medium free-range eggs
For the chocolate:
180g dark chocolate
2 tablespoons water
10g butter
For the filling:
500ml lactose free cream
4 tablespoons icing sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the macadamia nut brittle:
Find the recipe here
Method
Heat the oven to 200ºC, 180ºC fan, gas mark 6 and line two baking sheets with parchment. Sift the flour and xanthan gum together in a bowl.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add in the flour quickly, all at once. Stir vicariously with a wooden spoon until combined and smooth. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. This is called making the panade. Transfer the panade to a large bowl and using an electric whisk, beat for a couple of minutes to allow some steam to escape and for it to cool. Whisk the eggs together in a jug and beat them into the panade in 4-5 batches, whisking well after each addition, until the eggs have been fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and check in often – you might not need the fifth egg. The final batter should be smooth and glossy, thick but pipeable. When you hold the mixture up on a spatula it should create a ‘v’ shape.
Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle. Pipe mounds of the choux pastry onto the first lined baking sheet, roughly 4cm wide and 4cm tall. Space them about 3cm apart as they’ll puff up during cooking. Spoon down any pointy tops with a damp finger.
Place the tray into the oven, reduce the temperature to 190ºC, 170ºC fan, gas mark 5 and bake the choux buns for 30-35 minutes, or until they’ve risen considerably and are a deep golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the choux pastry. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool. If you’re unsure if the choux buns are dry enough inside (you want them to be dry-ish so that they don’t collapse), pick a sacrificial and break in half to check. If too moist, place back in the oven to bake a few minutes longer.
To assemble the profiteroles, bash and break the macadamia nut brittle into small shards. Pour the cream into a large bowl, add the icing sugar and whisk to soft peaks. Stir through the vanilla bean paste and spoon into a large piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle. Once cooled, cut each choux bun in half.
Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base doesn’t touch the water. Break the chocolate into the bowl and add the water and butter. Allow the mixture to melt, gently stirring every so often to encourage it. Remove from the heat.
Line up the choux bun bases and pipe a swirl of cream onto each. Top with a sprinkle of the brittle, making sure to reserve some to sprinkle over the top. Pair each base with a choux bun top and pile onto a serving platter. Drizzle over the chocolate, finish with another scattering of the praline and serve immediately.
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Photographs by Emma Croman
