Profiteroles

This desert looks very elegant and is very easy to prepare. Profiteroles are made of a Choux pastry (Pâte à choux), also used to make croquembouches and eclairs. Profiterole puffs can be filled with pastry cream or served whole with a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce. I love the contrast of temperatures and textures that ice cream filling creates. The chocolate sauce can be substituted with a light dusting of icing sugar or you can choose between any fruit coulis. 

Ingredients: 1 cup water, 1/2 cup butter,1 pinch salt, 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 4 eggs, beaten, 6 cups of vanilla ice cream.
Glaze: 1 egg, 1 tbsp water.
Chocolate Sauce: 3/4 cup whipping cream, 6 oz semisweet chocolate , chopped.


Preparation:

In heavy saucepan, bring water, butter and salt just to boil; remove from heat. Add flour all at once; stir vigorously with wooden spoon until mixture comes away from side of pan in smooth ball.

Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring constantly, until coating begins to form on bottom of pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.

Make well in centre of flour mixture. Using electric mixer, beat in eggs, one-quarter at a time and beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth, shiny and pastry holds its shape in bowl.

Fill pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch (1 cm) plain tip with pastry, or use spoon; pipe pastry into twenty-four 2-inch (5 cm) wide by 1-inch (2.5 cm) high mounds onto 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Glaze: Beat egg with water; lightly brush over mounds, flattening tips and making sure glaze doesn't drip onto paper.

Bake in top and bottom thirds of 425°F (220°C) oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F (190°C); switch and rotate pans. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Turn off oven; let stand in oven for 10 minutes to dry. Transfer to rack; let cool.


Chocolate Sauce: In saucepan, bring cream to boil; pour over chocolate in bowl. Whisk until melted.