Profiteroles for All!

Even for the most experienced grandmother, homemade profiteroles are an ambitious project. They call for mixing on the stovetop and using a pastry bag. But I needed to pass along a pastry that has haunted me for years, ever since I saw a chef turn a lumpy ball of dough into magical golden puffs. I still feel a frisson when they come out of the oven, pumped full of air up and ready to hold the good stuff. Now it was my turn to spin the magic for Piper—the pièce de résistance of our year in the pastry trenches.

Imagine my surprise when she knew what a profiterole was! She had seen a TV chef pump out gazillions, stuff them with a potpourri of flavored creams, and then stack them into a teetering Eiffel Tower that he proceeded to wrap in a web of spun sugar. Her profiterole lesson came while taking a break from Zoom-learning and watching the Australian competition baking show, Zumbo’s Just Desserts. Further proof of what a strange year it’s been.

I saved profiteroles for an in-person visit because though they are easy, they do take some speed and strength. What sets them apart is that rather than mixing then pouring into a pan and relaxing while they sit in the oven, cream puffs need your full attention while mixing. Truth be told, if you don’t make them often, there’s bound to be a tiny knot of anxiety about whether they will puff up properly when the heat hits them. Piper noticed I was anxious, something I always try to hide.

How does Piper stay so calm?

“Grandma, why did you panic when we were baking this morning?” she asked at dinner that night. I prefer not to call it a panic, more like an urgent request to BEAT FASTER in order to avoid tossing the whole thing in the trash, I thought. Grandma has no patience for redos.

Our latest trip to Austin to celebrate our newly vaccinated lives was the right time for such a showstopper dessert. It was time for renewal. We spent the morning making the puffs, then we let them sit on the counter until after dinner, when there would be absolutely no tension. I had purchased bottled chocolate sauce from Fran’s in Seattle and Pipe’s favorite vanilla bean ice cream, chez Haagen Dazs, holding back my top secret recipe for Renee’s hot chocolate sauce for another, more relaxed time.

Finn joined us in the kitchen to be close to the action. I even declared a profiterole contest, to pump up the excitement. We would all make our own plates, including extra add-ons like sprinkles and nuts, and then vote for the best. The kids loved the idea—and the adults didn’t complain.

Excitement ran high!

When the big moment came, we all had so much fun splitting and stuffing our puffs, and then pouring on the hot chocolate, that Piper and Finn forgot all about the add-ons.

During our morning debrief, before we headed to the airport and the kids to an Easter egg hunt, Piper reported that the profiteroles were delicious for breakfast. Warmed up and filled with butter, raspberries and jam, they were like hollowed out little biscuits.

In the final analysis, she gave them an eight, on a scale of one to ten for difficulty. As for taste, “I think they are perfect,” she declared before dashing out to hunt for Easter treats.

RECIPE

Profiteroles with Ice Cream and Hot Chocolate Sauce

1 cup milk
1 stick butter
pinch of salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 pint ice cream, softened
1 cup dark chocolate sauce

Preheat oven to 425F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone pads.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, butter, and salt until butter melts. Turn up the heat, pour in the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring until a smooth, glossy dough forms around the spoon.

Transfer the dough to a mixer fitted with the beater(s). Mix at medium speed until cool, then turn the speed to high and start adding the eggs, one at a time. Beat well between each egg, until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl between additions. Beat at high speed 5 minutes longer until dough is smooth and shiny.

Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large, plain tip. Pressing the dough down into the tip, pipe out 2-inch mounds of dough. Gently tap down the points in the center with a small spatula or butter knife dipped in cold water.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let cool on pan on rack about 1 hour. These can sit on the counter up to 5 hours.

When ready to serve, heat chocolate sauce in a small pot over low heat. Remove ice cream to soften.

Slice puffs open across the width. Spoon a small scoop of ice cream on bottom half. Cover with top to make a sandwich. Drizzle with hot chocolate sauce and eat immediately!

Leftover puffs can be stored in a zip lock bag at room temperature for a day. Reheat before using.

Makes about 15