Profiteroles with cream filling

Ready made profiteroles are indeed a treat, I'm sure you would agree! So when I came across the recipe, I thought hmm...this might be a challenge to make, but it is a challenge I am willing to try....so off I went :)

1. To make the profiterole pastry (also known as choux pastry), place the water, sugar and butter in a saucepan and heat on a gentle heat until the butter has melted. Then turn up the heat and quickly add the flour and salt in one go, beating vigorously for 30 seconds. Remove off the heat and still beat vigorously until a smooth paste is formed and the mixture comes away from the side of the pan
2. Place into a bowl and leave to cool for 10 minutes
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth and glossy and a soft dropping consistency (your arm may ache - but it is good exercise!)
4. Lightly grease a baking sheet, and using a piping bag with a small nozzle (or a disposable bag), pipe the mixture into small balls in lines across the baking sheet. Gently rub the top of each ball with a wet finger to help make a crisper top
5. Place a roasting tin at the bottom shelf of the oven, and heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place the baking sheet in the oven, and before closing the oven door, pour half a cup of cold water into the roasting tin, then quickly shut the door (this will help make the pastry rise better). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown
6. Remove from the oven and turn off the oven. Prick the base of each profiterole with the edge of a knife, then place back onto the baking sheet with the hole in the base facing upwards for a further five minutes in the oven (this should help dry out the middle of the profiterole)
7. To  make the filling, whip the cream with the vanilla extract. Once the profiteroles are cold, pipe the cream into the profiteroles via the hole in the bottom
8. To make the chocolate sauce, place the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Melt the chocolate in the microwave (making sure to mix every 10-15 seconds), then take the syrup off the heat and mix with the chocolate until smooth and well combined
9. Place the profiteroles into a large serving dish and pour over the chocolate sauce

These were super duper yummy!!!! Worth the hassle of piping the cream inside each! The shape were not all the same, because I got the hang of it by the end (when piping the pastry, you do not need to swerve it in circles, leave it in one position and it will shape into a sphere). If you are able to resist...leave them in the fridge for a bit before serving. Half of the profiteroles were gone before I put them in the fridge!! Enjoy :)