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Profiteroles | Traditional Sweet Pastry From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas
Profiteroles | Traditional Sweet Pastry From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas
Profiteroles | Traditional Sweet Pastry From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas
Profiteroles | Traditional Sweet Pastry From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas
Profiteroles | Traditional Sweet Pastry From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas
Profiteroles | Traditional Sweet Pastry From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas

Profiteroles

(Cream puffs, Chou à la crème)

These chocolate-covered puff pastries are filled with either whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or vanilla ice cream. Many theories exist about the origin of this dessert, but the most likely one traces it back to the 13th century, when the chefs who first created the puff pastry in France and southern Germany began filling them with savory cheese mixtures and herbs.


Sweet versions of the dish followed, and by the 17th century, the small pastries were referred to as choux (lit. cabbage), because the pastries were visually reminiscent of heads of cabbage. By the mid-19th century, the puffs had become known as profiteroles in France and England – they were decorated to resemble swans or pyramids, and were often served with dessert wine, tea, or coffee.


Regardless of the pastry’s murky origins, one bite will be more than enough to answer your only real question – yes, they’re delicious.