Profiteroles with Coffee Ice Cream
Elegant French pastries consisting of light, airy choux puffs filled with coffee ice cream and drizzled with a rich chocolate-caramel sauce. A sophisticated dessert that combines crispy pastry, cool ice cream, and warm chocolate sauce for a delightful contrast of textures and temperatures.
Ingredients
- •1 quart coffee ice cream
- •6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- •¾ cup water
- •¼ teaspoon salt
- •¾ cup all-purpose flour
- •3 whole large eggs
- •½ cup sugar
- •1 cup heavy cream
- •7 ounce fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
- •½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- •1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy (optional)
- •1 piece Equipment: a small (about 1 1/2-inch) ice cream scoop; a large pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip
- •1 piece large pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Chill a small metal baking pan in freezer. Form 18 ice cream balls with scoop and freeze in chilled pan at least 1 hour (this will make serving faster).
60 min
- 2.
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Butter a large baking sheet.
10 min
- 3.
Bring butter, water, and salt to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until butter is melted. Reduce heat to medium, then add flour all at once and cook, beating with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan and forms a ball, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
5 min
- 4.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well with an electric mixer after each addition.
5 min
- 5.
Transfer warm mixture to pastry bag and pipe 18 mounds (about 1 1/4 inches wide and 1 inch high) 1 inch apart on baking sheet.
10 min
- 6.
Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes total. Prick each profiterole once with a skewer, then return to oven to dry, propping oven door slightly ajar, 3 minutes. Cool on sheet on a rack.
28 min
- 7.
Heat sugar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling pan occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.
10 min
- 8.
Remove from heat, then add cream and a pinch of salt (mixture will bubble and steam). Return to heat and cook, stirring, until caramel has dissolved.
5 min
- 9.
Remove from heat and add chocolate, whisking until melted, then whisk in vanilla and Cognac (if using). Keep warm, covered.
5 min
- 10.
Halve profiteroles horizontally, then fill each with a ball of ice cream. Put 3 profiteroles on each plate and drizzle generously with warm chocolate sauce.
15 min