Classic Profiteroles with Vanilla Ice Cream and Warm Chocolate Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Crisp, hollow choux puffs split open over pre-scooped vanilla ice cream, then drowned at the table in a glossy bittersweet chocolate sauce. The whole trick is choux technique: dry the dough properly on the stove, add the eggs by feel, and let the puffs finish drying in a turned-off oven so they stay crackly instead of collapsing. Everything but the assembly can be done a day ahead.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 7 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g), spooned and leveled
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 large egg, beaten, for adjusting the dough and for egg wash

• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate (60–70%), finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch flaky salt

• 1 quart good vanilla bean ice cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions

1. Scoop the ice cream first: line a rimmed baking sheet or shallow pan with parchment and scoop 18 golf-ball-sized rounds (about 2 tablespoons each). Freeze uncovered until rock hard, at least 1 hour, then cover. This is what keeps assembly from turning into a puddle later.
2. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center. Line two heavy baking sheets with parchment. Fit a piping bag with a 1/2-inch round tip (or use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped).
3. Make the panade: combine the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has fully melted, bring it to a rolling boil, then dump in all the flour at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula until it forms a smooth ball, about 30 seconds.
4. Keep the pan on medium heat and cook the dough, smearing and stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until a thin film coats the bottom of the pan and the dough smells faintly of cooked pasta. Drying the dough here is what creates steam-powered puffs with hollow centers.
5. Transfer the dough to a stand mixer bowl with the paddle (or a large bowl) and beat on medium for 1 to 2 minutes to cool it to about 145°F — warm but no longer steaming heavily. Add the 4 eggs one at a time, beating until each is fully absorbed before adding the next; the dough will look curdled in between and come back together.
6. Check the consistency: lift the paddle and the dough should fall in a thick, glossy V-shaped ribbon and a peak drawn with your finger should slowly slump. If it is stiff, beat in the extra beaten egg 1 teaspoon at a time until it does. Reserve any leftover beaten egg for the wash.
7. Pipe 1 1/2-inch mounds about 2 inches apart, 9 per sheet, holding the bag straight up and finishing with a quick sideways flick. Dip a fingertip in water and press down any peaks, then brush the tops lightly with beaten egg, wiping any drips off the parchment.
8. Bake one sheet at a time. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes without opening the door, then reduce to 350°F and bake 20 to 22 minutes more, until deeply golden brown all over and light in the hand. Pale puffs collapse — go darker than feels comfortable.
9. Pierce the side of each puff with a paring knife to release steam, then turn the oven off, return the puffs to the sheet, and let them dry in the cooling oven with the door propped open for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack. Repeat with the second sheet.
10. Make the sauce: heat the cream, milk, and corn syrup in a small saucepan until it just steams and small bubbles form at the edge. Take it off the heat, add the chocolate, and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes, then whisk from the center out until glossy and smooth. Whisk in the butter, vanilla, and salt. Keep warm over the lowest heat or reheat gently before serving.
11. Assemble at the last minute: split each cooled puff horizontally with a serrated knife, tuck in a frozen ice cream ball, and set the lid on at an angle. Arrange three per plate or pile them in a shallow bowl.
12. Dust with powdered sugar if you like, carry the warm sauce to the table, and pour it generously over the puffs so it starts to melt the ice cream. Serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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