Lemon Curd Profiteroles with Raspberry

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer
• •Piping bags with round tips (1/2-inch and small)
• •Two rimmed baking sheets
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the lemon curd

   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.

   The curd is ready when you can draw a line through it on the spoon and the line holds without dripping back together.
2. 2

   Finish and chill the curd

   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.

3. 3

   Prepare for choux

   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.

4. 4

   Make the panade

   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.

   Adding flour before the liquid boils results in dense, greasy puffs. Patience here pays dividends.
5. 5

   Dry the dough

   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.

6. 6

   Add the eggs

   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.

7. 7

   Pipe the puffs

   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.

8. 8

   Bake the puffs

   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.

9. 9

   Dry the interiors

   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.

   Properly dried puffs sound hollow when tapped and have a crisp shell with only thin, eggy strands inside.
10. 10

    Fill the profiteroles

    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.

11. 11

    Serve

    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.

Chef Tips

• •Meyer lemons, if you can find them, produce a curd with floral notes and less bite. Use the same quantity of juice. Their season runs December through April, so plan accordingly or seek them at specialty markets.
• •The choux puffs freeze beautifully. Bake and cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag. Crisp them in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes directly from frozen.
• •For a proper summer spread, make these alongside a simple green salad and grilled chicken. The profiteroles work as either a plated dessert or a help-yourself centerpiece.
• •If your curd tastes too sharp, you've likely used old lemons or under-sugared. Taste and adjust before chilling. A tablespoon of honey rounds out aggressive acidity without making the curd taste sweet.

Advance Preparation

• •Lemon curd can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated. It actually improves after a day, becoming silkier as the butter fully sets.
• •Unfilled choux puffs keep at room temperature for 8 hours or can be frozen for up to 1 month. Recrisp in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes before filling.
• •Filled profiteroles should be served within 4 hours. The shells will soften if held longer. For outdoor entertaining, fill half the batch and replenish as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)