After making these Giant Cream Puffs and really enjoying the flavor of the crisp puffed pastry I decided to try to make some mini profiteroles.
Profiteroles are basically cream puff pastries filled with a scoop of ice cream and topped with a chocolate sauce. I made my profiteroles small, around 3″ in diameter, to create tiny little treats perfect for enjoying on a warm summer day.
To create the puff pastry I used the same recipe from the Giant Cream Puffs but utilized a small #50 scoop to portion out the batter. These little puffs bake up light and crispy with an airy center that allows the perfect spot for a small scoop of French Vanilla Ice Cream.
A chocolate drizzle over the top finishes off this simple confection. The combination of the crispy airy pastry combined with the creamy cold ice cream and decadent chocolate ganache is heavenly.
Here is how you can make your own.
You can find the entire recipe for the cream puffs here. You can see pics of the entire process in my previous post here.
Place the oven rack on the bottom shelf and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat and set aside.
Puff Pastry: Combine the water, butter, salt — I also added two tablespoons of sugar — in a medium sauce pan. Heat until the butter is melted then bring the mixture to a rolling boil that won’t stop when you stir it with a spoon.
Remove pan from heat and add all the flour at once, stirring vigorously to combine. Return pan to heat and cook over medium heat, stirring the entire time, until the mixture becomes smooth and pulls away from the sides and bottom of pan (around 1 minute).
Remove batter from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes or until the temperature drops to below 125 degrees. Transfer cooled batter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat in the eggs one at a time until each is thoroughly incorporated. Batter should become smooth and glossy.
Using a scoop (#50), place mounds of batter around 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 minutes until puffs are medium golden brown. Do Not Open Oven Door During Baking Time Or Puffs Will Deflate!
When puffs are browned remove from oven and quickly cut a small slit on the top of each puff and return to oven for another 5 minutes to allow the steam to escape and the insides to dry out.
Place finished puffs on a wire rack to cool for around 5 – 10 minutes then cut the tops off each puff and let cool to room temperature.
Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache Sauce:
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate disks
1 tablespoon dark rum
Heat cream and butter in a saucepan until melted and remove before it starts to boil. Place chocolate discs in a small bowl and pour hot cream on top. Let sit for a few seconds and whisk by hand.
Add the one tablespoon dark rum and continue whisking until completely incorporated and smooth. Let cool until thick and pourable. Use a wire whisk to stir it every few minutes to keep it smooth and pourable.
Assembly: Fill cooled puffs with tiny scoop of French Vanilla Ice Cream. Place puff pastry cap on top of ice cream and drizzle with chocolate ganache sauce. Add sprinkles if desired! Serve immediately.
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