Ice-cream Puffs

Ice-cream Puffs
Serves: 12

These small bundles of ice-cream-stuffed pastry — often referred to as profiteroles — are a one-of-a-kind treat. The dough used to make them, called pâte à choux, is light and airy, yet sturdy, so it’s perfect for filled goodies such as éclairs. Our profiterole dessert was developed by FamilyFun associate art director (and trained pastry chef !) Sally Weaver, and it’s become a favorite of her daughters. “They love baking the puffs, but the best part, really, is getting to gobble them up afterward!”

 

Ingredients
  • FOR THE ICE-CREAM PUFFS
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 lightly beaten egg for coating
  • vanilla ice cream
  • FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
Instructions
  1. Ice-cream Puffs Step 1 Move the oven rack to a position slightly below the center and heat the oven to 375°. Lightly coat two baking sheets with butter.
  2. Ice-cream Puffs Step 2 In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil. Remove the pan from the stove top and stir in the flour until well blended. Return the pan to the stove top and cook on medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture pulls away from the sides, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Ice-cream Puffs Step 3 Remove the pan from the stove top once more and transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the 4 eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated.
  4. Ice-cream Puffs Step 4 While the dough is still warm, use a tablespoon-size cookie scoop to place 1 1/2-inch-wide mounds on the baking sheets. Stagger the rows to give the puffs room to expand as they bake. Gently brush the top of each with the beaten egg.
  5. Ice-cream Puffs Step 5 Bake the puffs until golden brown, 25 to 28 minutes. (Don’t remove them from the oven before they’re fully baked, or they’ll collapse.) Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Ice-cream Puffs Step 6 While the puffs are baking, line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper. Place 1 1/2-inch-wide ice-cream scoops on the sheet, one for each puff. Cover the ice cream with plastic wrap and freeze until ready to use.
  7. Ice-cream Puffs Step 7 For the chocolate sauce, bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Place the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and pour the cream on top. Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes, then whisk it until it’s smooth. Add the butter, then whisk again.
  8. Ice-cream Puffs Step 8 To assemble the dessert, cut each puff in half, place a scoop of ice cream on the bottom, replace the top, and drizzle with the warm chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.
Tips:
The pastry puffs can be made ahead and frozen. Freeze them on a baking sheet, then store them in a ziplock bag. To thaw the puffs, bake them at 350 degrees for five minutes.
Variations:
For another tasty take, fill the puffs with whipped cream, dust them with confectioners’ sugar, and top the dessert with fresh berries.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (1 puff) Calories 123, Total Fat 9 g (14%), Saturated Fat 5 g (27%), Cholesterol 60 mg (20%), Sodium 56 mg (2%), Total Carbohydrate 9 g (3%), Fiber 0.3 g (1%), Sugars 5 g, Protein 2 g (4%)
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