
Yields:
15 - 20
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Profiteroles sound fancy, but don't be intimidated. To make them, you prepare pâte à choux—a magical dough in the pastry arsenal. With it, you can make cream puffs, eclairs, cheese puffs, and more! In this recipe we turn our pâte à choux dough into profiteroles, aka ice cream-filled, chocolate-covered puffs of goodness. The baked puffs will keep in your freezer until you’re ready to fill them for a decadent dessert that will wow your guests (trust us on this one). Simply pop the puffs in the oven for a few minutes to bring them back to life before filling.
Vanilla ice cream is traditionally used as a profiterole filling, but any flavor works.
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Ingredients
FOR THE pâte à choux
- 1 cup
water
- 1/2 cup
(1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
Pinch kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups
all-purpose flour
4 to 5 large eggs
Ice cream, for serving
FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE
- 1/2 cup
heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups
semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 Tbsp.
coconut oil
Directions
- Step 1Make the pâte à choux: Adjust an oven rack to center position and preheat the oven to 425°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Step 2In a medium pot or pan, heat the water, salt, and butter over medium heat. When the butter has fully melted and the edges start to bubble, add all of the flour at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together (it will begin to leave a film of paste along the bottom of the pan), about 2 minutes over medium heat.
- Step 3Transfer the pasty mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or to a medium bowl if using a hand mixer). Mix on medium speed until the paste is no longer releasing steam, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Step 4Crack the eggs into a small bowl and break apart using a fork. Add the eggs a tablespoon or 2 at a time to the paste and mix until fully incorporated. Continue adding the eggs a tablespoon or 2 at a time, until the dough is thick and glossy. (Depending on the weather and how much the paste has been cooked, you may need more or less egg.)
- Step 5Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe onto prepared baking sheets into mounds 1½” wide by 1” tall and 2” apart from one another. Using a wet finger, tap down to level out the peaks.
- Step 6Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. (Underbaked dough will look great coming out of the oven, but then collapse as it cools. Make sure that the puffs are uniformly golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.) Let cool as you prepare the chocolate sauce.
- Step 7Make the chocolate sauce: Fill a medium pot with 1” of water and bring to a simmer. In a medium bowl, add the heavy cream and chocolate and place the bowl right on top of the pot. (Watch out for steam!) With a whisk or heat-proof spoon, stir until fully melted and combined. Add the coconut oil and stir to combine.
- Step 8Using a serrated knife, cut the puffs in half. Top each bottom with a small scoop of ice cream, and sandwich.
- Step 9Spoon chocolate sauce over the top.
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