Hot Chocolate Cream Puffs

Pâte à Choux

125 g water
125 g whole milk
5 g superfine sugar
5 g fleur de sel
110 g unsalted butter
140 g all-purpose flour
250 g eggs

Dark Chocolate Mousse

120 g eggs
50 g sugar
160 g good quality dark chocolate (70-73%), finely chopped
263 g heavy cream

Vanilla Bean Chantilly

100 g heavy cream
10 g icing sugar
2 g vanilla paste

Swiss Meringue

75 g egg whites
112 g granulated sugar

Prepare the choux paste

In a saucepan, bring the water, milk, sugar, salt, and butter to a boil on the Boiling Plate. With the saucepan still over the heat, add the flour all at once. Beat hard with a wooden spoon until the paste is smooth and shiny and continue being until the paste comes away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the paste to a bowl and incorporate the eggs one at a time, beating constantly. Transfer the finished paste to a piping bag fitted with a plain #14 pastry tip.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pipe out 12 to 14 choux balls about 2 1/2 inches (6.5 cm) in diameter and 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) tall, arranging them on the lined baking sheet about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. (Note: I use a 1 inch diameter demi sphere mold for my choux, freeze, then unmold onto the baking sheet)

You can dust the choux with sifted cocoa powder if you wish. Place them in the Baking Oven and turn the oven off. Keep the oven off for ten minutes. Turn the oven back on and continue baking the choux, After ten minutes, slide a wooden cooking spoon between the oven and its door to keep it partly open. Bake for another ten minutes. Transfer the choux to a wire rack to cool. Once they have cooled, use a toothpick or similar tool to create a small hole in the bottom of each puff, large enough for your smallest circular piping tip to fit through.

For the chantilly, combine the cream, icing sugar, and vanilla paste in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip to stiff peaks, transfer to a piping bag fitted with the smallest circular tip you have, and set in the fridge.

For the chocolate mousse

Whip the heavy cream to medium peaks and set aside in the fridge.

Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a hot water bath while whisking constantly until it reaches 60 C/ 140 F.

Remove the mixture from the heat and place it in the stand mixer. Whip on high speed until it cools to about 35 C/ 95 F and creates ribbons, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over the hot water bath. Let it cool to 35 C/ 95 F.

Once both the egg mixture and the chocolate are at the correct temperatures, whisk the egg into the chocolate until evenly combined. Fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining half. Transfer to a piping bag with a small circular tip.

To assemble, pipe a small about of chantilly into the puff through the hole in the bottom. Shake the puff so the cream sits at the bottom of the puff (you are holding it upside down as you do this, so the bottom is actually the top). Pipe in the chocolate mousse until the puff is full. Set it down, right side up, on a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining puffs. Reserve in the fridge while you make the meringue.

For the swiss meringue

Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a double boiler. Whisking constantly, warm the egg whites until the mixture is no longer gritty. Immediately transfer to the stand mixer and whip on medium-high for 4 minutes, until glossy and no longer warm.

Dip the cream puff into the meringue. Shake the excess off gently and return the puff to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining puffs.

Torch the meringue using a handheld torch. Serve immediately.

Recipe is from Hint of Vanilla Blog http://www.hintofvanillablog.com/home/2015/12/hot-chocolate-cream-puffs.html