profiteroles

This was our Easter dessert.  Thomas really wanted dirt cake, Elle wanted creme brulee (a girl after my own heart!) and Scott's vote was for cherry dessert.  Of course I wanted to make Scott happy so I made a small pan of cherry dessert but then I just had to have something chocolatey too.  Profiteroles fit the bill perfectly.  You must try these!   So yummy!  The kids absolutely loved them.  I can see them being requested for birthdays...they're that good.  :)

Making the puff dough (technically called pate a choux) was fun though you might work up a little sweat when it comes time to stir in the eggs!  The cooked puffs freeze really well so this is a great make ahead dessert.  The recipe is from Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking (thanks Mom!) and while the directions are lengthy don't let that scare you.  Just be sure to read through them first before starting the recipe. 

Puff Shells

1 cup water
6 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp granulated sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

Bring water to boil with the butter, sugar, and salt in a 1 1/2 quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Meanwhile measure out the flour.

Remove from heat and immediately pour in all the flour at once.  Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for several seconds to blend thoroughly.  Then beat over moderately high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and the spoon, forms a mass, and begins to film the bottom of the pan.

Remove saucepan from heat and make a well in the center of the paste with your spoon.  Immediately break an egg in to the center of the well.  Beat it into the paste for several seconds until it has absorbed.  Continue with the rest of the eggs, beating them in one by one.  The third and fourth eggs will be absorbed more slowly.  Beat for a moment more to be sure all is well blended and smooth.
To make large puffs I just used two large spoons but you can also use a pastry bag with a 3/4-inch, round tube opening.  Squeeze the choux paste onto two parchment lined or buttered baking sheets in mounds 2 to 2 1/4" in diameter and 1 inch at the highest point. Space the mounds 2 inches apart.  This recipes makes 10-12 large puffs.

In a small bowl beat 1 egg and 1/2 tsp of water.  Flatten each mound slightly with the flat of your pastry brush dipped into a little of the beaten egg.  Place the baking sheets in the upper and lower thrids of a preheated, 425-degree oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the puffs have doubled in size and are lightly browned.  Then reduce heat to 375-degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until the puffs are golden brown, and firm and crusty to the touch.  Remove from oven, and make a 1-inch slit in the side of each puff.  Return the puffs to the hot, turned-off oven, and leave its door ajar for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, cut the puffs in two horizontally and scrape out any damp, uncooked portions in the center with a fork.  Allow the halves to cool and crisp, then re-form the puffs. 

These do not keep well at room-temp so I froze mine shortly after making them since we weren't going to use them that day.  Just before using the frozen puffs, set them in a hot oven to thaw and crisp up.  Julia Child says to set them in a 425-degree oven for 3 to 4 minutes but my oven was already at 350 degrees so I just put them in there at that temp for a little longer and it worked just fine.

To assemble the dessert put a scoop of ice cream in the bottom of the puff shell, set the top of the puff on the ice cream and then drizzle generously with your favorite warm chocolate sauce!