Profiteroles: A Classic French Dessert

Profiteroles may be the most petite items on our fall dessert menu, but don’t let their size fool you. The light and airy pastries pack a delicious flavor and texture.

Try them for yourself — we’re serving our profiteroles with pumpkin ganache, candied ginger and vanilla ice cream!

Also known as choux à la crème or cream puffs, profiteroles are small pastry dough balls filled with whipped cream, pastry cream, custard or ice cream.

They’re often coated in chocolate ganache or caramel sauce and are made using choux pastry, or pâte à choux, which originates in 1540’s France.

As legend has it, chefs of Italian Catherine de’ Medici introduced pâte à choux — a light pastry dough — to the court after she married French King Henri II.

After the dough was introduced in France, it popularized during the 17th and 18th centuries and became widely used to make a variety of French desserts, including eclairs, croquembouche, Paris–Brest, gâteau St-Honoré and Religieuse.

While Medici’s chefs may have invented pâte à choux, chef Marie-Antoine Carême is credited as being the first to pipe cream into the dough years later.

Modern-day “choux,” which translates to “cabbage” in English, resembles a small cabbage when baked. It’s typically made with just five ingredients, including butter, sugar, flour, salt and egg.

While not always easy to master, the dough can be transformed into a sweet and delicious dessert or a savory cheese puff or gougère.

Stop by and try our profiteroles — our dining room and deck are currently open for lunch from 11:30am-4pm and dinner from 4-close every day of the week.

Our closing times vary seasonally. Please call (360) 766-6185 to make a reservation.