Profiteroles, also known as cream puffs, are classically served stuffed with vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled with hot chocolate sauce in France. This recipe uses a rich dark chocolate sauce, and holds to the tradition of serving the sauce straight from the saucepan, while it is still piping hot, not merely warmed.
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Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- Choux pastry:
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- Hot chocolate sauce:
- 7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Vanilla ice cream
Preparation:
How to make profiteroles in hot chocolate sauce:
To make the choux pastry:
Cook's note: Substitute your favorite premium dark chocolate for the semisweet chocolate. Avoid using bittersweet chocolate, as it will make the sauce too bitter.
How to make profiteroles in hot chocolate sauce:
To make the choux pastry:
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter in the water. Add salt and flour, and stir until a sticky batter is formed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the batter is smooth.
Preheat oven to 425F and grease 1 baking sheet. Spoon the prepared choux dough into a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe 8 rounds onto the baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the profiteroles puff up and turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before placing in the freezer.
To assemble the cream puffs:
Slice the top third off a profiterole and hollow out a bit of the dough. Spoon a petite scoop of vanilla ice cream into the hollowed-out center, and then replace the top of the profiterole. Repeat with the remaining profiteroles. Store them in the freezer while you are making the hot chocolate sauce.
To make the hot chocolate sauce:
Using a double boiler, heat 1 1/2 inches of water to boiling. Melt the chocolate in the whole milk and butter, stirring constantly, in the upper portion of the double boiler. Once the chocolate is melted and the mixture smooth, turn the heat down to the lowest setting.
Pull the prepared profiteroles from the freezer and arrange them on serving dishes. Bring the chocolate sauce back up to a hot temperature, without simmering or boiling it. Pour the hot chocolate sauce directly over the ice cream-filled cream puffs, and serve them immediately.
This profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce recipe makes 8 servings.
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