Lemon profiteroles

Name: Lemon profiteroles
Prep time: 80 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 0.6 cup; Butter 3 ½ tbsp; Whole milk 3.3 tbsp; Water 1.7 oz; Eggs (2 medium) 4 oz; Fine salt 1 pinch; Whole milk 2.3 cups; Sugar 1 cup; Egg yolks (about 7) 4.2 oz; Cornstarch 4 tbsp; Rice starch 3.8 tbsp; Lemon juice 4 tbsp; Lemon peel 3; Fine salt 1 pinch; Fresh liquid cream 10 tbsp; Whole milk 6 tbsp; Limoncello 4 tsp; Fresh liquid cream ½ cup; Powdered sugar 4 tsp; Lemon peel 1

JUMP TO RECIPE

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Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Serving: 10
Cost: Low
Note + the refrigeration time for the cream (at least 3 h) and for the glazed choux puffs (2-3 h) ','seo_title':'Lemon profiteroles: choux puffs with lemon pastry cream and limoncello glaze

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Lucake

Lemon profiteroles are like a delightful fusion of French pastry magic with a little twist of sunshine. Really good stuff. These lemon choux pastry gems have this light, tender shell filled with smooth, creamy lemon pastry cream. It’s fresh, and tangy, kinda like a bite-sized citrus dream. And you know what? That glossy glaze with a splash of limoncello is the real star here—so zesty. Seriously.

Fans of French pastries will love the choux texture, but the citrus kick, really, really makes this dessert pop. Perfect for when you’re craving something refreshing to end a meal. Over in France, they usually fill profiteroles with chocolate or vanilla cream, but this lemony twist? Whole new vibe.

Look, making these little puffs takes some patience. You gotta let the dough rest, which is great because it helps the shells bake up light and just crispy enough on the outside while staying moist inside. Pretty simple. You can totally mix it up with the filling or glaze, maybe use whipped ricotta or go savory for parties.

But honestly, this combo of classic choux and cool, citrusy filling? It is a winner for spring or summer get-togethers. They’re easy to share, and on a tray, they look impressive—like really. Perfect for anyone wanting something a bit more refined than your usual lemon treats. Whether you're into easy lemon desserts or ready to dive into new choux adventures, these lemon profiteroles hit all the right notes: fresh, sweet, and just fancy enough to make guests ask for seconds. Plus, you can play around with different flavors. Keeps things exciting every time you whip up a batch at home.

INGREDIENTS

for the choux pastry (for about 34 cream puffs): Type 00 flour 0.6 cup (75 g); Butter 3 ½ tbsp (50 g); Whole milk 3.3 tbsp (50 g); Water 1.7 oz (50 g); Eggs 4 oz (110 g) - (2 medium); Fine salt 1 pinch

for the lemon pastry cream: Whole milk 2.3 cups (550 g); Sugar 1 cup (190 g); Egg yolks 4.2 oz (120 g) - (about 7); Cornstarch 4 tbsp (30 g); Rice starch 3.8 tbsp (30 g); Lemon juice 4 tbsp (60 g); Lemon peel 3; Fine salt 1 pinch

for the glaze: Fresh liquid cream 10 tbsp (150 g); Whole milk 6 tbsp (90 g); Limoncello 4 tsp (20 g)

for decoration: Fresh liquid cream ½ cup (100 g); Powdered sugar 4 tsp (10 g); Lemon peel 1

to prepare the cream

To prepare the lemon profiteroles, start with the cream: pour the milk into a saucepan, season with a pinch of salt 1 and the lemon zest 2, and bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and the sugar 3 and whisk by hand, avoiding incorporating air.

Add the cornstarch 4 and the rice starch 5. When the powders are absorbed, add the lemon juice 6 and mix again.

At this point, pour the hot milk into the bowl through a fine sieve 7 and blend everything with a whisk 8. Transfer the mixture to a heavy-bottomed saucepan (do not use the one in which you heated the milk, otherwise the cream may stick) 9.

Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until you obtain a thick, lump-free consistency 10. Transfer the pastry cream to a shallow, wide container 11, then cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface 12 and let it cool to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 3 hours.

to prepare the cream puffs

Meanwhile, prepare the choux pastry: in a heavy-bottomed saucepan pour the water 13, the milk 14 and a pinch of salt 15.

Add the butter as well 16 and let it melt over low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the sifted flour 17 and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon 18.

Continue cooking the mixture for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly. When a white film forms on the bottom of the pan 19, transfer the dough to a bowl 20 and spread it against the sides with a rubber spatula so it cools more quickly 21 (for this step you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment as an alternative).

Incorporate one egg at a time 22 and mix well so they are fully absorbed 23. When you have obtained a homogeneous dough 24, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a 12 mm plain round tip (about 1/2 in).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe small mounds about 1 3/16 in in diameter 25. Moisten the tip of a finger with water and gently press the tip of each mound; this will give them a rounded shape 26. Bake in a preheated, static oven at 392°F for about 20–22 minutes. After baking, remove from the oven and let cool completely 27.

to fill and glaze the cream puffs

After the pastry cream has cooled, whisk it to soften 28 and transfer it to a piping bag, again fitted with a 12 mm plain round tip. Use the tip of a pair of scissors to make a small hole in the base of each cream puff 29. Insert the tip into the hole and generously fill the puffs with cream 30. The remaining pastry cream will be used for the coating.

Move on to the glaze: whip 150 g of heavy cream with electric beaters 31. (150 g ≈ 5.3 oz, about 2/3 cup). In a bowl, combine the whipped cream with the leftover lemon cream 32, then add the limoncello 33.

Pour the milk 34 in several additions 35, mixing gently until you obtain a fluid, homogeneous consistency 36.

Dip a few cream puffs at a time into the glaze 37 and drain them with a fork so the excess falls away 38. Place the glazed puffs on the serving platter as you go to form the classic pyramid 39.

After glazing all the puffs, whip 100 g of cream for the decoration with the powdered sugar. (100 g ≈ 3.5 oz, about 1/2 cup). Garnish the pyramid of cream puffs with lemon zest strips 40 and fill the gaps with rosettes of whipped cream, using a piping bag fitted with a star tip 41. Refrigerate to set for at least 2–3 hours. Your lemon profiteroles are ready to be served 42!

storage

Lemon profiteroles can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Baked, unfilled choux puffs can be kept for up to a week in a tin box; alternatively they can be frozen for about a month.

Pastry cream can be stored in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap in direct contact for 2–3 days; alternatively it can be frozen for one month.

The glaze can also be stored in the refrigerator for 2–3 days, covered with plastic wrap.

tips

If you prefer, you can replace the limoncello in the glaze with the same amount of milk.

If you prefer, you can use a single type of starch by combining the quantities.

Adjust the consistency of the glaze by adding the milk gradually: it should be fluid but not too thin, just enough to coat the puffs and cover them evenly.

Instead of filling the Cream Puffs, you can prepare a Chantilly cream!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.