Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce

yessssssss

Here’s a weird fact about me!  I always pay close attention to what my friends/family order when we’re at a restaurant.  It’s only because I’m nosy, weird, and I desperately want to learn their taste buds. I also like figure out what they’ll order when they pick up a menu. I take a guess in my head, and when I’m right, I feel awesome. My brother and husband always order duck or some other MEAT. Carbs always seal the deal for their entrees. My dad orders fish or chicken and makes them sub greens for carbs (he’s that guy!). He also never orders dessert BUT that doesn’t stop him from eating mine. My mom will start with a beet salad, and for her entree she picks the lamb or something pork related. She always makes room for dessert when she sees profiteroles on a dessert menu. ALWAYS. This type of information comes in handy.

stuffed

So, when it came to Mother’s Day last month (YES I’m SOO BEHIND!), I knew exactly what to make my mom for the special day. Profiteroles!  I learned how to make them at my Sur La Table class a few months back and Mother’s Day & my 31 comes before 32 list put me to the test. #8 Make cream puffs for my mom. (She LOVES profiteroles!)= COMPLETED.

They were SCRUMPTIOUS and well received! A little bit of effort but totally worth it! My mom is worth it. As it turns out, Pate a Choux is pretty fun to make and the dough is kind of addictive if you’re into eating dough like I am.  If you want to give someone a nice gift, make them something they’d order in a restaurant. Surprise them! I almost always go for the bread pudding, anything with bananas or homemade donuts. My birthday is in August. I’m just planning ahead here.

And we’re off!!

Melt the butter with water over the stove.

butter & water

Add in the flour and STIR.

four addition

Put the mixture in a stand mixer and beat….cooling it down. Add one egg at a time. GO!

lets add some eggs

You get something like THIS!

WHIP IT

Pipe your puffs onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

pipe it

See?

piping

Now with a wet finger, push the tops down. NOW BAKE!

poking

Hello PUFFS!!

baked

Cut them in half and scoop some ice cream in each.

stuffed

Hello profiterole. Don’t mind if I do….

profiterole

I put them in the freezer for safe keeping while I got my chocolate sauce ready. Let’s do it.

loot

Chocolate sauce concoction!

let's make some chocolate sauce!

MELT!

on the way

That is my husband being naughty. Who can resist?

husband swiping

Dip in your puffs and you’re ready to go!

DIP

Add some berries & a mint leaf. Extra fancy!

Chocolate not your thing? Make a raspberry coulis!

Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce

makes about 24 profiteroles

(recipe from from the Sur La Table class)

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 3-4 large eggs
  • 1 quart vanilla ice cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

To make the pate a choux: In a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a gentle boil over medium high heat, stirring to melt the butter completely. Add all the flour at once and continue to stir until the flour is incorporated and the dough becomes a mass that pulls away from the sides of the pot. Remove from the heat ans scrape the dough into a mixing bowl. Using a standing or hand held mixer, beat the dough on medium to cool it off a bit. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. When all the eggs have been incorporated, the dough should be thick, smooth, and glossy paste.

Pipe 24 puffs on the lined baking sheets- about 2 inches apart. Keep mounds as high and round as possible. With a wet finger, gently tap the tops of each profiterole to remove the point and round the top. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce (see below).

Reduce the heat to 350F and continue to cook the puffs for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size. Do not open the oven door or remove pans from the oven until the puffs are firm to the touch. The profiteroles should be golden brown and well-risen. Allow the shells to cool before filling.

Using a serrated knife, slice the pastry puffs almost in half (I cut through them completely). Place 3 profiteroles on each dessert plate and fill with a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the top; garnish with fruit & a mint leaf

For the Chocolate Sauce

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, cut in chunks (I used morsels!)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine the cream and butter in a small heavy bottomed sauced pan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until bubbles appear around the sides of the pot, but do not allow the cream to boil. Mix in the chocolate and vanilla; remove from the heat and stir until the chocolate melts and the sauce is smooth.

  • Lynx

    You made my fav dessert look so freaking easy to make!!! I know what I’m doing tomorrow now!

  • Lynx

    That looks too easy. No kidding right. Hallo weekend baking idea. Between this and choc bread…. I think I’ll go with profiteroles. Mmmm.

  • SassyB

    Aren’t these the best? And they really aren’t that hard to make. I use the dough and make eclairs too. I may need to make some next week when everyone is home.

  • Amanda

    yes! my husband and i made these ate a cooking class we took at sur la table in Newport! love the tip of making them and then keeping them in the freezer for safe keeping until you are ready to dip em in the chocolate… my husband is not a chcolate fun ( i know) so ill have to make a coulis, never thought of that! we were so surprised how easy they were to make and they are so impressive. yours look lovely!

  • Megan

    Whoa these look so good!

  • Alexandra

    ugh this looks delicious. this website is dangerous viewing.. yum and thanks

  • Kate

    Whoa, I had always thought profiteroles must be super tricky. This looks fairly easy! Definitely going to try this when the parents-in-law come to visit in July.

  • Christianne

    Or, if you’re in culinary school and not aloud to use a mixer, use a wooden spoon and stir like crazy! I think I want to try making these again, without the pressure of being graded on them.

    • Tracy

      When they were using a mixer at my class I thought it was cheating….I’ve seen Martha do it several times on her show and was like hmmmm….if a 60 something year old woman can do it I CAN TO. My teacher was like “EH” And he was FRENCH! But this is easy….and I like easy. Plus I’m not doing it for national TV. haha

  • Katrina

    Oh wow! These look so tasty. Are these the one’s you were talking about on podcast number 5 from a little while ago? I can’t wait to try!

  • Mardi@eatlivetravelwrite

    They are absolutely gorgeous. I recently made profiteroles and they are so easy! I love the idea of filling them with ice cream (which I have done) and this way it saves me from *having* to taste the pastry cream I would otherwise be making to fill them. Because you know that is just so more-ish! Lovely photos!

  • ursula

    I was thinking about making cream puffs today. In fact, I’ve got the Julia Child recipe sitting next to me. Mind connection.

  • cindy

    why have i been beating the eggs into cream puff dough by hand like a fool? mixer, duh.

    i definitely made my mother in law a cheesecake last year for mother’s day (her FAVE) dessert…she didn’t even have a slice b/c she only likes it when she makes it…

    totes denied.

  • Leah

    Oh baby… y.u.m.m.y!!!!

  • Tarrin

    Oh my goodness, Alden’s is my new favorite store-bought ice cream! So tasty, and the nutrition facts are surprisingly “harmless.” You must try Peaches n’ Cream next 🙂

    • Tracy

      Thanks for putting that on my radar! I’m gonna check it out the next time I go grocery shopping! I LOVE peaches & cream.

  • Shaleen

    Can drool do permanent damage to a laptop?

  • Blanka

    If there’s any food I am absolutely mad about, it’s profiteroles!
    I have also my italian recipe which I’ve already tried…
    and they are adorable. The best food I’ve ever eaten probably.
    And I love your idea – to combine profiteroles with strawberries…

  • vineelasiva

    Thants nice and easy recipe. Yesterday i tried this recipe it came out good and tasty.Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  • vineelasiva

    Instead of Icecream i tried with the whipping cream it tastes good.

  • jeannette

    i tried making these and for some reason, i pull mine out of the oven and they fall flat. they were so tall and beautiful in the oven and then not 30 seconds out of the oven and they look like cookies. 🙁 any idea what went wrong. i followed your instructions exactly (except i halved the recipe) any help would be appreciated 🙂

  • christine@beansbakehouse

    hi tracy these look so good! i’m going to get the same fancy ice cream that you used..saw @mrs. greens natural foods….i’m tempted to use some peanut butter cup ice cream with some but don’t know if thats proper profiterole protocol. THANK YOU SO much for your awesome podcasts with joy the baker -& thank you for this recipe I can’t wait to try today..will send a pic if they turn out – its a crazy hot day in ny

  • Jachel

    Yeah, I’m 9 months pregnant and have been craving cream puffs for about 3 months, but buying them has turned out to be less than satisfying. Too soggy, or not quite fresh tasting, or the Costco ones (sad). I’m taking this recipe and showing this craving who’s boss. So thank you!

  • Gaby

    I LOVE profiteroles, and so does my husband, so I found a recipe at my moms house, and I tried to make them. So, this would be my 2nd attempt to make profiteroles. The first recipe was a bit confusing with the quantities. They used gr, ml, teaspoons… So from this recipe I realize is the same amount of water and flour, and 1/2 of butter, easy, They came out beautifully!!! I had to leave them about 10 more minutes in the oven, because they seemed a lit bit undone yet. But every oven is different, so that should matter. Overall it is a great and very easy recipe!!!!

  • Pavithra

    You have this look so effortless. I got to try this soon, its the best dessert ever!!

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