A very simple yet impressive idea for your Christmas table… savory profiterole, a delightful pyramid of cream puffs filled with cheese cream and smoked salmon (or other deli meats of your choice). The recipe is very easy and can be prepared in minutes, but it is perfect to serve as an appetizer or to offer at a buffet of appetizers, for Christmas or New Year’s Eve. I used store-bought cream puffs, but if you have time and are skilled, you can make them at home, which will make the profiterole even tastier. At the end of the recipe, as always, you will find all my tips and suggestions for variations!
Here are some other tasty ideas for the holidays:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Seasonality: Christmas, All seasons
- Energy 230.34 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 4.02 (g) of which sugars 0.44 (g)
- Proteins 12.86 (g)
- Fat 18.09 (g) of which saturated 2.49 (g)of which unsaturated 3.69 (g)
- Fibers 0.14 (g)
- Sodium 639.72 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 70 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 12 cream puffs
- 3.5 oz smoked salmon (or ham, or other deli meat)
- 3.5 oz ricotta
- 5.5 oz cream cheese
- herbs (dried, to taste)
- basil (to taste)
Tools
- Tray
- Bowl
- Pastry bag
Preparation
Place the ricotta, the cream cheese, and a handful of dried herbs to taste in a bowl.
Mix with a spoon until you get a cream. Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag.
Cut the smoked salmon, or the deli meat you want to use, into strips or small pieces.
Carefully cut the cream puffs in half without crushing them.
Stuff them with the cheese cream and salmon, and close them without pressing. Do not use all the ingredients, as you will need them later.
Take a serving plate and arrange the cream puffs in a pyramid shape: place 7 at the base, then 4 (or 3, depending on how they balance), and one on top.
Fill the spaces between the cream puffs with the remaining cream and a few salmon rosettes. Optionally, decorate with fresh basil leaves (or parsley, or arugula).
The savory profiterole is ready to be served, and it will look perfect on the holiday table!
Tips and Variations
You can use smoked salmon, salami, cooked or raw ham, speck, mortadella, or other deli meats, depending on what your menu includes.
For the cream, you can use ricotta, robiola, Philadelphia, mascarpone, or plant-based spreadable cheese. Do not add salt, as the salmon or deli meats are already quite salty.
I recommend preparing the profiterole at the last minute so that the cream puffs do not become too soft. You can arrange them in the shape you prefer, such as a crown, as well as a pyramid.
Leftover cream puffs can be stored in the refrigerator in a closed container. I advise consuming them within a short time.
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