Profiteroles

Is it really possible to have dairy-free and gluten-free profiteroles and also keep them pretty healthy, I hear you ask? Well believe me this is just the case here – these have to be a real favourite of mine.

Makes 16

Ingredients

For the choux pastry

• 150ml/1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp water
• 50g/1 3/4 oz Lucy Bee coconut oil
• 85g/2/3 cups gluten-free plain flour
• 2 eggs

For the cream filling

• 160ml/2/3 cup coconut cream (thick coconut milk), refrigerated overnight
• 1 tsp icing (confectioners’) sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste

For the chocolate glaze

• 45g/1 1/2 oz dark dairy-free chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
• ½ tbsp Lucy Bee coconut oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, add the coconut oil and heat just until melted. Turn the heat down to as low as possible, add the flour and mix well using a wooden spoon, stirring until it combines into a ball and has a spongy texture. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

2. Add 1 egg to the cooled mixture (it is important it is not hot or the eggs will scramble) and, using an electric hand-held mixer, mix until combined, then mix in the second egg. Keep mixing until smooth, with a pipeable consistency. Spoon the choux mixture into a piping bag and cut a hole at the end about 2cm/¾ inch wide.

3. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Pipe the mixture into rounds about 5cm/2 inches across, leaving a 5cm/2-inch space in between each to allow room for them to expand as they cook.

4. Bake in the oven for 18–20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and prick each profiterole base with a toothpick, wiggling it around to let the hot air out (this will stop them from going soggy inside). Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

5. For the cream filling, put the chilled coconut cream in a bowl and whip to soft peaks, using an electric hand-held mixer. Add the icing (confectioners’) sugar and vanilla paste and continue to whip until stiff enough to pipe. Fill a piping bag with the coconut cream mixture and pipe equal amounts inside each profiterole, using the holes you made.

6. For the chocolate glaze, gently melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a saucepan until smooth, with the consistency of a sauce. Pile the profiteroles into a pyramid and pour the chocolate glaze over the top. They can be stored in the fridge until needed.

From Coconut Oil: Recipes for Real Life. Recipe text © 2016 Lucy Bee Limited.