Profiteroles with Killer Chocolate Sauce

Servings

Serves six

Ingredients

For the profiteroles
1 c. water
1 stick butter, cut into pieces
1 c. sifted flour
4–5 eggs, beaten
1 qt. vanilla ice cream
For the chocolate sauce
1 c. light cream
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

For the profiteroles: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine water, butter and salt in medium saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat and add flour, mixing with wooden spoon until combined and somewhat dry. Dough will be warm but not hot enough to cook eggs. Slowly add eggs, mixing well. When dough is well combined it will be sticky and shiny.

Line two sheet pans with parchment paper, or lightly grease. Scoop tablespoons of dough onto pans, keeping shapes symmetrical, or use pastry bag with 1/2-inch plain nozzle. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden.

For the chocolate sauce: Heat cream in small saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in chopped chocolate and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth and remove from heat. If the sauce is too thick, add more cream or hot water to thin.

To assemble: Let pastries cool, slice in halves, and fill with ice cream. Pour warm chocolate sauce over top.

• Adapted from Vineyard Harvest (Broadway Books, 2005)