This raspberry profiterole wreath is an absolute showstopper and perfect for your holiday table centrepiece! Perfect golden choux buns are filled with hazelnut praline paste and raspberry pastry cream before being crowned with chocolate and shaped into a wreath. You can top it however you like but freeze-dried raspberries and some gold leaf make it extra special.
Biting into a crisp raspberry profiteroles is truly blissful. They taste sweet and nutty and tart and fruity all at once and everyone will want more than one.
It all starts with this choux pastry recipe.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- It's easier than it looks but will need some planning.
- Frozen raspberries mean you can make it any time of year.
- Make-ahead friendly - in parts. You'll need to assemble on serving day (but it's easy).
- Great for a party and even finger food since you can just pick a single profiterole off.
- Versatile - try other fillings - a vanilla pastry cream or chocolate pastry cream or try another berry.
Ingredients & substitutions
It's hard to believe there are just 8 ingredients in this gorgeous Christmas profiterole wreath. And you can decorate the top with anything from sprinkles to gold leaf.
Jump to the recipe card for full quantities and instructions.
- Milk: For the choux pastry and pastry cream. Use whole milk for a richer flavour.
- Flour: Just regular plain flour / all-purpose flour is used for the choux buns. Get more tips on types of flour in my choux pastry post.
- Butter: Use a good-quality unsalted butter. Check the ingredients label to ensure it has no added water.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar is all you need for this festive wreath recipe.
- Eggs: You'll require 4-5 large eggs for the choux pastry but the exact amount will depend on other factors. In the recipe, it clearly describes how to add the right amount. You'll need another 4 egg yolks for the pastry cream.
- Raspberries: I use frozen raspberries for this - about 4 cups. They're perfectly delicious and more affordable than fresh raspberries and, since they're being blended up, they don't need to look pretty. You can use fresh if you prefer.
- Cornflour (US cornstarch): This helps to thicken the raspberry pastry cream.
- Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate is perfect here. It pairs with raspberries perfectly.
This raspberry profiterole wreath makes a wonderful holiday or Christmas dessert but you can dress it up to suit any occasion. It's perfect for parties as it's easy for everyone to just break off one profiterole. Add sprinkles to suit a birthday or Mothers day.
How to make choux buns
With any baking recipe, but especially choux, I recommend using a kitchen scale and I also recommend using grams. It's the most precise method and will remove at least a few obstacles you'd need to worry about otherwise (ie, too much flour making them dry). Once you have the choux buns baked, turning them into a stunning festive profiterole wreath is easy.
Jump to the recipe card for full quantities and instructions.
Make the choux pastry
You can get all the tips in this choux pastry recipe.
Transfer to a piping bag
Place a piping bag into a tall container and fold the top down over the container edge. Pour the choux pastry in. When you take the bag out, use a bench scraper to push all the choux pastry together. Then gather up the top and sit it back in the container.
Pipe the choux
Prepare a baking sheet with a baking mat. I find a mesh silicone baking mat gives best results but you can use a regular silicone mat or even baking paper. For this recipe you just want to pipe domes about 4cm (1 ½ in) wide and 2cm (¾ in) tall.
Tap down the tips
Wet your finger and gently press down the pointy tips on the choux domes.
Bake
Bake the choux buns for 30-35 minutes then poke a hole in the base with a toothpick or skewer.
Choux pastry will soften over time - it's never as crisp as when it first comes out of the oven. Pricking a hole in the base helps steam to escape so they don't turn soggy. You can make the choux buns a couple of days in advance (or months in advance and freeze them) then just give them 7-10 minutes in the oven to crisp them up again.
The raspberry pastry cream
Purée raspberries
Thaw the raspberries (you can wait or speed it up in the microwave) then blend them to a purée in a blender or food processor. Strain the raspberry purée to remove the seeds.
Make the custard base
Whisk together egg yolks and cornflour with a little milk, then slowly pour in hot milk while whisking, so your eggs don't scramble.
Add the raspberry
Raspberry profiteroles need some raspberry in the pastry cream so whisk in the raspberry purée.
Cook the pastry cream
Cook the raspberry pastry cream gently stirring with a whisk constantly until it starts bubbling then continue cooking while it boils for another minute.
Chill
Chill the raspberry pastry cream in a container with plastic wrap pressed to the surface until completely cool.
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The hazelnut praline paste
Whilst optional (you definitely don't need it for a gorgeous raspberry profiterole wreath) the praline paste does add an extra indulgent layer of flavour. Think "nutty caramel" and try not to eat it by the spoonful (or do, no judgement here ☺️).
You will need a fairly powerful blender to get it super smooth, however, it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth to be delicious. I have a Ninja food processor with the smoothie cups. The food processor portion works well but the smoothie cups work more quickly. I tend to get it started in the processor then transfer to the smoothie cup once it's broken down to spreadable consistency.
Toast hazelnuts
Start by toasting the hazelnuts in the oven on a baking tray until golden.
Make the caramel
This is a dry caramel so start by putting the sugar into a perfectly clean stainless steel heavy-based saucepan over low heat. It will start to form clumps which is perfect. Keep pushing them around and pressing down on them to gradually melt them.
Smooth caramel
You'll eventually get a smooth caramel.
Add to the nuts
Pour the caramel over the toasted hazelnuts and let it sit for 10 minutes to cool and harden.
Blend
Now, use a strong food processor or blender to blend the whole lot until smooth. This can take 10-20 minutes. Take breaks if you feel the processor heating up.
Assembling the raspberry choux wreath
Preparation
- Get a round platter ready and arrange your choux buns around it so you can see the size you need to make it.
- Transfer your pastry cream and praline paste to separate piping bags.
- Melt some dark chocolate.
Fill the choux buns
Make the hole in the base of the profiteroles a bit larger with a chopstick or end of a pair of scissors. Pipe in about a teaspoon of the hazelnut paste. You'll have to guess a little bit here. Next pipe in the pastry cream until it pushes the piping tip out.
Dip the tops
Dip the top of each raspberry profiterole into some melted dark chocolate.
Arrange them on the platter
As soon as you dip a profiterole, arrange it on the platter. Make two circles on the bottom and then another layer on top of them around the middle.
Decorate
If you're using freeze-dried raspberries or sprinkles of some kind, sprinkle it over the raspberry profiteroles while the chocolate is still wet. Then chill the wreath
Gold Leaf
To make this raspberry profiteroles wreath extra special for Christmas, I add some edible gold leaf. It can be pricey for but it looks gorgeous and is nice if you want to splurge for a special occasion.
- Sheets: I use gold leaf sheets. You can can just hold the paper and press it up against the set profiteroles, then rub your finger on the back to release some. I prefer this way because gold leaf can have a habit of floating away and getting stuck to everything but where you want it.
- Flakes: These gold leaf flakes can be good too. Use tweezers take them out of the bottles and place them where you want them.
If you want something a little more budget friendly just some gold sprinkles would be great.
Tips and tricks
- Weigh ingredients for the best results. Use a kitchen scale with the ability to change the units to grams. This will give you the very best choux pastry. Using cups is much less accurate and you'll likely end up with too much flour
- The easiest way to fill a piping bag is by first placing the piping bag into a tall glass or jug with a wide mouth and folding the top down over the top of the jug. This way, you have both hands to hold the bowl and scrape into your bag. It also means you are less likely to get air bubbles in your mixture.
- All ovens vary: You can bake off a test choux bun to find out exactly what temperature and baking time work for you.
- Activating the starch in the pastry cream is vital for it to hold it's consistency. If you don't, the pastry cream can split and become watery by the following day. To do this, make sure to cook it for 1-1 ½ minutes once it begins bubbling.
- Take care to measure out the liquids properly for your pastry cream so that it sets beautifully.
- A powerful blender or food processor will get you the smoothest results for your praline paste. If you find your processor struggling, add a teaspoon of neutral flavour oil and make sure to take a break if you feel it overheating.
Planning ahead
While these components are all fairly easy to make on their own, there is a little time involved in bringing them all together so here's a little get-ahead guide so that you can begin making it 4 days in advance.
- Day 1: Make the hazelnut praline paste - 35 minutes + cooling time. Store it in a sealed jar in the fridge.
- Day 2: Make the choux pastry - 50 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Day 3: Make the pastry cream - 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed to the surface.
- Day 4 - Serving day: Anytime before serving but will be best as fresh as possible. Re-crisp the choux buns in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Transfer the pastry cream and praline paste to separate piping bags. Arrange the baked choux on a round platter to work our roughly how many you'll place in each row. Melt some chocolate. Assemble your Christmas choux wreath.
Storage
Filled choux will get softer and softer the longer they sit. It's best to assemble the raspberry choux wreath on the day you're serving it, however all components can be made ahead of time.
Choux buns
- The baked choux buns can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days. After that, you'll need to eat them or freeze them (for immediate use later).
- Chill in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Re-crisp them in an oven preheated to 180C/350F, for 5-7 minutes
Raspberry pastry cream
- Can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before consuming.
- Pastry cream is not suitable for freezing.
Hazelnut praline paste
- Store in the fridge in a clean preserving jar for 3-4 months.
- Will freeze well for up to 1 year.
The raspberry choux wreath
- Best eaten on the day it's assembled however will still be delicious the following day.
- Keep it stored in the fridge.
- Keep in mind the storage time of all the components when deciding how long to keep it .
Yield
This recipe makes enough choux pastry for 32 choux buns. You will have at least half of the praline paste and just a little of the raspberry pastry cream leftover.
Variations
Check out my collection of fillings recipes to create your own Christmas wreath filling combinations or try these ideas;
- Nuts: The praline paste can be made with other nuts as well. Try almonds, macadamias or walnuts.
- Pastry cream : Try vanilla pastry cream or a chocolate pastry cream instead. You can also try blackberries or blueberries.
- Add cream to the filling: You can lighten the flavour of the filling if you prefer by folding through some whipped cream (this would be known as a raspberry crème légère). The raspberry flavour would not be so strong but this gives a less dense filling.
- Birthdays, Mothers Day, Easter ... This festive choux wreath is perfect for any festive occasion or celebration - just decorate the top to suit the occasion.
If you made this raspberry profiteroles wreath recipe,
be sure to leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you!
Raspberry Profiterole Wreath
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOUX BUNS
- ½ cup water (125ml)
- ½ cup whole milk (125ml)
- 115 g butter (4oz / 1 stick)
- 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 130 g plain flour (1 cup, spooned and levelled / ~4 ⅓oz)
- 200-230 g eggs (4-5 large eggs, see notes)
FOR THE RASPBERRY PASTRY CREAM
- 500 g frozen raspberries (~1lb)
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk (310ml)
- ½ cup white granulated sugar (105g/~3 ½oz)
- ⅓ cup cornflour (US cornstarch) (38g/1 ⅓oz)
- 4 egg yolks from large eggs
- 14 g butter (½ oz/1 tablespoon)
- pinch salt
FOR THE PRALINE PASTE
- 300 g skinless hazelnuts (10 ½oz)
- 200 g white granulated sugar (7oz)
- pinch salt
TOPPING
- 200 g dark chocolate (50% cocoa solids) (7oz)
- crumbled freeze dried raspberries
- gold leaf sheets or sprinkles optional
Instructions
- FOR THE CHOUX BUNS: Preheat oven to 190C / 375F. Line 2 large baking sheets with silpats (recommended) or baking paper/parchment paper.
- Make the choux pastry using this recipe. Transfer the pastry batter to a piping bag and cut the tip off about 1cm/~½ in wide.
- Holding the piping bag directly upright with the point down, pipe domes of dough about 4cm (1 ½ in) wide x 2cm (¾ in) high. You can fit 20 onto a half sheet pan (about 1 inch apart) and you should get 32 from the batch.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown, puffed up and crisp.
- As soon as you can handle the heat, use a skewer or toothpick to poke a hole in the base of each choux bun and let them cool with their bases up.
- FOR THE RASPBERRY PASTRY CREAM: Once the raspberries are thawed (you can zap them in the microwave for 2 minutes or just heat them in a saucepan if you want to speed it up), place them into a food processor and process on high for 30-60 seconds until you have a puree.
- Measure out 1 ¼ cups of puree and set aside.
- In a heavy based, medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat 1 cup of the milk and all the sugar, stirring to dissolve until it starts steaming heavily.
- To a medium mixing bowl, add the cornflour, eggs and remaining ½ cup of milk. Whisk, using a balloon whisk until smooth and combined.
- While gently whisking, very slowly drizzle the hot milk into the egg mixture. Don't pour it too quickly or you'll cook the eggs.
- Pour in the 1 ¼ cups of pureed raspberries and whisk to combine.
- Return the custard mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat, gently stirring with a whisk the entire time until it starts to thicken and bubble.
- As soon as you see the first bubbles appear, continue cooking and stirring for a full minute to activate the starch (in the cornflour).
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and salt until the butter has melted and is fully incorporated.
- Pour the pastry cream into a clean dish and place plastic wrap over the top, pressed to the surface.
- Chill to cool completely. You will need to give it a whisk before you use it.
- FOR THE PRALINE PASTE: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Chop the nuts in half (no more or you risk them burning). You can toast them whole but when cut in half, more surface area gets toasted and gives the praline a better flavour.
- Transfer the nuts to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown with a strong nutty aroma.
- Remove from the oven and use the paper to lift them off the tray. Let them cool for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile you can get the toffee started. In a small or medium saucepan, cook the sugar over low-medium heat, stirring regularly until fully melted and amber brown.
- Lift the nuts back onto the baking tray and pour the toffee over the top all over (so it's not in one big chunk when it cools). It doesn't need to cover all the nuts.
- Let it set for 5-10 minutes.
- When hard and cooled, break the toffee and nuts up into smaller chunks and transfer to a powerful food processor or blender with the salt.
- Process on low for 10-15 minutes, scraping the bottom of the bowl of the food processor with a silicone spatula after every minute until it turns into a paste that settles in on itself again when stirred. If you find your processor struggling, add a teaspoon of neutral flavour oil and make sure to take a break if you feel the machine getting hot.
- ASSEMBLING THE RASPBERRY PROFITEROLE WREATH: Make sure everything is cool before you start and assembly is best done sometime on the day of serving.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag with a small round tip - 5mm/1/4 inch. Transfer the praline paste to a piping bag with an equally small round tip.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave, in 30 second increments. Stir well between each until just melted.
- Make the hole in the base of each profiterole a little larger using a chopstick or the closed blades of a pair of scissors.
- Start by piping about a teaspoon of praline paste into the choux bun through the hole in the base (you'll have to guess this and you can certainly add more if you like).
- Next, pipe in the pastry cream using firm but also gentle pressure on the piping bag. Move the tip around inside to make sure it's filling it everywhere and stop when you feel the tip pushing bag towards you. Don't be too forceful or you might burst the profiterole.
- Dip the top of the profiterole into the chocolate then place it chocolate side up onto a large round serving platter (about 28-30cm / 11-12in).
- Repeat with the rest of the choux buns making two rings of profiteroles on the base and one ring on top that runs around the centre of the two lower ones.
- If using sprinkles or freeze dried raspberries, scatter those all over now, then transfer to the fridge to chill for 30-40 minutes.
- If using gold leaf, add that once the chocolate has set.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Weigh ingredients for best results, where a weight is given. Using cup measures can result in too much or too little depending on exactly how you use them. If you do use them, fill them to the brim and make sure to spoon flour into the cup measures, don't scoop from the container.
- Food processor: A powerful food processor will get you the smoothest results for the praline paste. I use a Ninja food processor and will often get the nuts and toffee broken down in the food processor, then transfer it to the smoothie jug to get it really smooth.
- Egg sizes vary from country to country. The weight and quantities given are a guide only as the amount of egg you need for choux pastry is dependent on so many factors including how much moisture was cooked out of the panade, how much moisture your flour absorbs etc.
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