Have you ever had profiteroles? it’s a pastry combining vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce… How does that sound?

It’s pretty simple to make once you get the pastry texture right. If you make it too dry or too liquid, your puff pastry won’t « get up » in the oven. Every egg is different, their weight can vary from one country or brand to another. That’s why, in order to succeed, it is more important to achieve a particular texture than respecting the given egg measure.

This profiteroles recipe is the original French classic but don’t be afraid to vary ice cream flavors, you’ll find your favorite! Need some ideas? Start by trying pear or coconut, they’re both amazing

Preparation time: 20 minutes – Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients (for 25 to 30 profiteroles)

1/2 cup (125 ml) of milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) of water
1 stick (4 oz/ 125 g) of butter
4 oz (125 g) of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
4 eggs (about 2 oz/ 60 g each)

Chocolate sauce

1/3 cup (85 ml) of water
1 tablespoon (15 g) of caster sugar
1 tablespoon (15 g) of unsweetened cocoa
7 oz (200 g) of dark chocolate
1/2 cup (125 ml) of whipping cream

3 cups (750 ml) of vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Prepare puff pastry

1/ Dice butter.

2/ Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Add water, milk, butter and salt. Stir occasionally until butter is melt.

3/ Take pan off heat and add flour all at once, whisk. Put pan back over low heat and whisk for a minute so pastry dries up a little.

4/ Off heat, add one egg and whisk until mixture is blended and smooth. Repeat with two more eggs.

5/ Break last egg in a small bowl, whisk it with a fork. (Pastry mixture is ready when smooth and sticky. When taking it with a spoon, it should hang on the sides. If your pastry mixture is too liquid, add some flour (1 teaspoon at a time) until it gets sticky. There is no need for you to add the last egg. On the other hand, if you pastry is still hard to whisk you go and add the last egg.) Add whisked egg one half at a time and whisk pastry mixture.

6/ Pour pastry mixture in a piping bag. (If you don’t have one, use a freezer bag. You’ll cut one corner with scissors once it’s filled with pastry mixture) . Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

7/ Preheat oven to 400°F (200° C/ Th 6). If you have a convection oven, preheat to 375° F (190° C/ Th 5).

8/ Position opening of the piping bag just above the baking tray. Gently squeeze. Lift about 1/4 inch while still squeezing.When puff is about 1.5 inch round, stop squeezing and lift tip. Leave a few inches between puffs so they don’t stick together  when baking.

9/ Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Don’t open the oven before they’re ready!

10/ When they’re ready, get them to chill on a grill tray.

Prepare chocolate sauce

1/ Break dark chocolate in a bowl.

2/ Get water, sugar and cocoa powder to a boil in a small pan. Stir well with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth chocolate syrup.

3/ When chocolate syrup is boiling, lower heat and add whipping cream. Stir well.

4/ Take off heat and add dark chocolate. Stir well until you get a blended and thick chocolate sauce.

Prepare profiteroles (count 3 per serving)

1/ Open all the puff pastry you need with a knife.

2/ Place bottoms on serving plates, top with puff pastry remaining half.

3/ Top generously with chocolate sauce and serve right away.