Triple Chocolate Cream Puffs. They sound intense, but trust us, once you get this recipe down, you'll be obsessed with them.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add whole milk and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Let simmer, then remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks. Pour a small bit of the milk mixture into the bowl to temper the eggs. Then pour all of it into a saucepan, whisking constantly.
- Return to heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl and whisk in butter, vanilla extract, and bittersweet chocolate. Cover and chill for about 3 hours.
- To make the pate a choux (the cream puff shells), first, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring it to a simmer. Add flour and, working quickly, begin mixing with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until it pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and cool for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Whisk in one egg at a time until fully combined. Gently stir in cocoa powder. To check that the dough is ready, grab a piece between two fingers and pull apart. If the dough stretches, it's ready. If not, add a little bit more egg and test again until ready.
- Divide dough evenly into 8, circular pieces dropped onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue baking until shells are firm about 15 minutes.
- Remove from pan and use a small knife to make a slit in the side of each puff. Allow puffs to cool completely.
- When puffs are cooled, fill with chocolate cream filling.
- To make the ganache, heat bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until completely combined and smooth. Spoon ganache over the top of cream puffs.
- Serve and enjoy!