We've combined two favourite desserts to create these toffee apple profiteroles!
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For the filling
- 3 medium Bramley apples, about 500g, peeled, cored and chopped
- 50 g caster sugar
- 2 Tbsp. cornflour
- 350 g fresh vanilla custard
For the profiteroles
- 100 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 125 g plain flour
- 3 medium eggs, beaten
For the toffee sauce
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 175 g light brown soft sugar
- 125 ml double cream
- Pinch sea salt flakes (optional)
- Step 1First, make the filling. In a medium pan over low-medium heat, mix the apples, sugar and 2tbsp water, stirring occasionally, until the apples are broken down and pulpy. Remove from heat and mash thoroughly (see GH Tip) or whizz with a stick blender until smooth.
- Step 2Remove 3tbsp apple purée to a small bowl and mix in the cornflour to make a smooth paste. Return cornflour mixture to the apple pan and cook over medium-high heat for a couple of min, or until bubbling. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the custard. Cover and chill.
- Step 3Meanwhile, make the profiteroles. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 and line two large baking sheets with baking parchment. Melt butter and 225ml water in a medium pan over low heat. Turn up heat to high and bring to the boil. As soon as boiling, take pan off heat and quickly beat in flour with a wooden spoon. Keep beating until mixture is shiny and comes away from sides of pan. Empty into a large bowl and leave to cool until just warm to the touch.
- Step 4Using a handheld electric whisk, gradually beat the eggs into the cooled flour mixture until smooth and glossy. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe 28 mounds on to lined sheets, spacing apart, with each mound about 3cm wide and 3cm tall. With a damp finger, gently pat down any peaks. Bake for 25min, or until puffed and golden.
- Step 5Remove from oven and, when cool enough to handle, pierce a central 5mm hole in the base of each bun with a skewer, to allow steam to escape. Return to oven, holes up, for 5min. Cool completely on wire rack.
- Step 6Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce. Heat butter and sugar in a medium pan over low heat, stirring, until melted. Turn up heat to medium-high and bubble for 2-3min, swirling the pan rather than stirring, until darkened and caramelised. Remove from heat and whisk in cream (careful it will splutter). Return to heat and stir until smooth. Add a pinch of sea salt, if using, and set aside to cool.
- Step 7 To serve, spoon the chilled filling into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm nozzle. Pipe into the skewered holes, filling each bun. Dip the top of each bun in the toffee sauce then arrange, toffee-up, on a serving plate. Drizzle over remaining toffee sauce and serve.
Get ahead
Make profiterole buns up to a day ahead. Cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature. To re-crisp (up to 2hr before filling), arrange buns on baking sheet and return to an oven preheated to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 3-5min. Complete recipe up to 3hr ahead; cover loosely and keep at cool room temperature.
GH Tips
• It’s important the apples are mashed thoroughly as any small chunks will clog the piping nozzle later.
• The toffee thickens the cooler it gets. If it’s too thick for dipping, warm through briefly, stirring, to loosen
Per profiterole:
- Calories: 145
- Protein: 2g
- Total fat: 9g
- Saturates: 5g
- Carbs: 15g
- Total sugars: 10g
- Fibre: 1g
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
