Name: Profiteroles Recipe
Ingredients: For the Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux): 1/2 cup Water: Water is crucial for creating steam during baking, which is what gives choux pastry its signature hollow interior and light texture. Tap water is perfectly fine, but filtered water can be used if preferred, especially if your tap water has a strong taste.; 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter: Butter adds richness, flavor, and tenderness to the pastry. Unsalted butter is recommended as it allows you to control the salt content precisely. If you only have salted butter, you can omit the added salt in the recipe, but be mindful of the overall saltiness.; 1/2 tsp Granulated Sugar: A touch of sugar adds a subtle sweetness to balance the savory notes and aids in browning during baking. Granulated sugar is ideal as it dissolves easily into the water and butter mixture.; 1/4 tsp Salt: Salt enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients and is essential for developing the gluten in the flour, which is crucial for the structure of the pastry. Table salt or sea salt works well.; 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour provides the structure for the choux pastry. It’s important to measure it accurately, preferably using the spoon-and-level method (spooning flour into the measuring cup and leveling off the excess with a straight edge) to avoid using too much flour, which can result in a dense pastry. Do not use self-rising flour.; 2 Large Eggs: Eggs are the binding agent and add moisture, richness, and leavening power to the dough. They are incorporated one at a time and beaten vigorously to create a smooth, emulsified batter. Use large eggs for consistent results.; For the Chocolate Ganache: 2 oz Dark or Semi-Sweet Chocolate: The star of the ganache, choose a good quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate for the best flavor. Dark chocolate (around 60-70% cacao) provides a richer, more intense chocolate flavor, while semi-sweet chocolate offers a slightly sweeter and milder taste. Chocolate chips, chopped chocolate bars, or couverture chocolate can be used.; 3 tbsp Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds richness, smoothness, and shine to the ganache. It also helps to melt the chocolate and create a pourable consistency. Heavy cream with at least 36% milkfat is recommended for optimal results.; For Filling: Vanilla Ice Cream: Classic vanilla ice cream is the perfect complement to the choux pastry and chocolate ganache. Choose a good quality vanilla ice cream for the best flavor and texture. You can also experiment with other flavors like French vanilla, chocolate, or even coffee ice cream for a twist.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux):
- 1/2 cup Water: Water is crucial for creating steam during baking, which is what gives choux pastry its signature hollow interior and light texture. Tap water is perfectly fine, but filtered water can be used if preferred, especially if your tap water has a strong taste.
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter: Butter adds richness, flavor, and tenderness to the pastry. Unsalted butter is recommended as it allows you to control the salt content precisely. If you only have salted butter, you can omit the added salt in the recipe, but be mindful of the overall saltiness.
- 1/2 tsp Granulated Sugar: A touch of sugar adds a subtle sweetness to balance the savory notes and aids in browning during baking. Granulated sugar is ideal as it dissolves easily into the water and butter mixture.
- 1/4 tsp Salt: Salt enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients and is essential for developing the gluten in the flour, which is crucial for the structure of the pastry. Table salt or sea salt works well.
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour provides the structure for the choux pastry. It’s important to measure it accurately, preferably using the spoon-and-level method (spooning flour into the measuring cup and leveling off the excess with a straight edge) to avoid using too much flour, which can result in a dense pastry. Do not use self-rising flour.
- 2 Large Eggs: Eggs are the binding agent and add moisture, richness, and leavening power to the dough. They are incorporated one at a time and beaten vigorously to create a smooth, emulsified batter. Use large eggs for consistent results.

For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 2 oz Dark or Semi-Sweet Chocolate: The star of the ganache, choose a good quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate for the best flavor. Dark chocolate (around 60-70% cacao) provides a richer, more intense chocolate flavor, while semi-sweet chocolate offers a slightly sweeter and milder taste. Chocolate chips, chopped chocolate bars, or couverture chocolate can be used.
- 3 tbsp Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds richness, smoothness, and shine to the ganache. It also helps to melt the chocolate and create a pourable consistency. Heavy cream with at least 36% milkfat is recommended for optimal results.

For Filling:
- Vanilla Ice Cream: Classic vanilla ice cream is the perfect complement to the choux pastry and chocolate ganache. Choose a good quality vanilla ice cream for the best flavor and texture. You can also experiment with other flavors like French vanilla, chocolate, or even coffee ice cream for a twist.

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Instructions

Preheat and Prepare: Begin by preheating your oven to 425°F (220°C). This high initial temperature is essential for creating steam and helping the profiteroles puff up. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Parchment paper prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier, while a silicone mat provides even heat distribution and can be reused.

Combine Wet Ingredients: In a small saucepan, combine the water, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Warming these ingredients together allows the butter to melt evenly and the sugar and salt to dissolve completely.

Melt Butter and Dissolve Solids: Warm the mixture until the butter is fully melted and the sugar and salt are dissolved. You’ll see the butter melting and the mixture becoming homogenous. Avoid boiling the mixture at this stage, just gently warm it until everything is melted and combined.

Add Flour and Cook the Dough: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Immediately add all the all-purpose flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula until the flour is fully incorporated. Initially, it might seem a bit dry and crumbly, but keep stirring until it comes together into a dough.

Dry Out the Dough: Return the saucepan to low heat. Stir the dough continuously for 1-2 minutes. This step is crucial for drying out the dough and removing excess moisture. The dough is ready when it becomes smooth, shiny, and pulls away from the bottom and sides of the saucepan, forming a ball. You might notice a thin film forming on the bottom of the pan, which is normal. This step ensures the pastry will puff up properly in the oven and not be soggy.

Cool Slightly and Incorporate Eggs: Turn off the heat and move the saucepan to your counter to cool slightly for a minute or two. This prevents the eggs from scrambling when added. Add one egg at a time. Beat vigorously after each addition until the egg is fully incorporated and the dough becomes smooth and paste-like again. It may seem challenging at first, and the dough might appear to separate after adding the first egg. Don’t worry, just keep beating vigorously. The dough will eventually come back together and become smooth and glossy. Repeat with the second egg.

Pipe the Batter: Once both eggs are incorporated, the choux pastry batter is ready. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (such as a Wilton 1A or Ateco 806) with the batter. Alternatively, you can use a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off to create a makeshift piping bag. Pipe the batter onto the prepared baking sheet in medium-sized mounds, about 1 1/2 inches wide and about 1 inch apart. Keep the mounds relatively uniform in size for even baking. If you don’t have piping bags, you can use two spoons to shape and drop mounds of batter onto the baking sheet.

Bake at High Temperature: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven at 425°F (220°C) for 10 minutes. The high initial temperature creates a burst of steam, causing the puffs to rise rapidly.

Reduce Temperature and Continue Baking: After 10 minutes, WITHOUT opening the oven door, lower the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the profiteroles are a deep golden brown color. It’s crucial not to open the oven door during the baking process, especially in the first 20 minutes, as this can cause the puffs to deflate. The color is a good indicator of doneness; they should be a rich, deep golden brown, indicating they are cooked through and crisp.

Vent and Dry in Oven: Once the profiteroles are deeply golden, turn off the oven. Open the oven door slightly and gently pierce each puff with a sharp knife or toothpick to release steam. This prevents them from becoming soggy as they cool. Let the puffs rest in the oven with the door slightly ajar for another 15 minutes. This allows them to dry out further and become even crispier.

Cool Completely: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the profiteroles to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling on a wire rack allows air to circulate around them, preventing condensation and keeping them crisp. Make sure they are completely cool before filling.

Prepare Chocolate Ganache: While the profiteroles are cooling, prepare the chocolate ganache. Warm the heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for approximately 10-15 seconds, until it is steaming but not boiling. Alternatively, you can warm the cream in a small saucepan over low heat.

Melt Chocolate: Add the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips to the warm cream. Let it sit for about a minute to soften the chocolate. Stir gently until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy. If the chocolate is not melting smoothly, you can microwave the mixture in 10-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.

Assemble Profiteroles: Once the profiteroles are completely cool, use a serrated knife to carefully slice each puff horizontally into two halves (top and bottom).

Fill with Ice Cream: Place a couple of mini scoops of vanilla ice cream onto the bottom half of each profiterole. Work quickly to prevent the ice cream from melting too much.

Top and Drizzle: Place the top half of the profiterole back on top of the ice cream. Drizzle generously with the warm chocolate ganache. Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor. The warmth of the ganache slightly softens the pastry and contrasts beautifully with the cold ice cream.

Nutrition

Serving Size: One Normal Portion
Calories: 250-300
Sugar: 15-20g
Sodium: 100-150mg
Fat: 15-20g
Saturated Fat: 8-12g
Carbohydrates: 25-30g
Protein: 3-4g
Cholesterol: 60-80mg