Ina Garten Profiteroles
Profiteroles are small cream puffs made from pâte à choux—a French dough that puffs up in the oven to create a hollow center. Ina Garten’s version fills them with good-quality vanilla ice cream instead of pastry cream and drizzles warm chocolate sauce over the top for a beautiful contrast in texture and temperature.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: French
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
For the choux pastry:
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1 cup water
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1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
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¼ teaspoon kosher salt
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1 tablespoon sugar
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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4 large eggs
For the filling:
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1 pint good-quality vanilla ice cream (or your favorite flavor)
For the chocolate sauce:
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½ cup heavy cream
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4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
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1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional, enhances chocolate flavor)
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½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a saucepan, bring water, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil. Once butter is melted, add flour all at once and stir quickly with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a ball.
Transfer dough to a bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy.
Scoop or pipe small mounds (1½ inches wide) onto the prepared sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F, then reduce oven to 375°F and bake another 15–20 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
In a saucepan, heat the cream until just simmering. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate, instant coffee, and vanilla. Stir until smooth and glossy.
Slice the cooled puffs in half horizontally. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the bottom half, replace the top, and drizzle generously with warm chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.