12 SERVINGS
Some classics deserve their reputation, and this irresistible dessert is one of them. Crisp puffed pastry balls filled with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with an excellent hot fudge sauce combine crisp and creamy, hot and cold, for one of the all-time great treats. Since the pastry puffs freeze so well, I always keep a cache of them in my freezer, for any time an easy but really special last-minute dessert is needed.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1 teaspoon sugar
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Egg glaze, made by beating 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water
1½ quarts rich vanilla ice cream
Rich Chocolate Sauce, preferably homemade
1. Heat the oven to 425°F. In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water, the butter, sugar, and salt to a rolling boil over moderately high heat.
2. Add the flour all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon over the heat until the flour masses together in a ball, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Turn the flour paste into a food processor with the metal blade. One at a time, add the 4 eggs and process until smooth and shiny (or beat them in with a wooden spoon).
4. Butter 2 large baking sheets. Using a pastry bag and a plain ½-inch tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheets to form 18 to 20 mounds about 1 inch in diameter and ½ inch high on each sheet; leave about 2 inches in between the mounds. If you’re not handy with a pastry bag, use 2 teaspoons. Brush the tops of the mounds with the egg glaze.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until puffed and browned. Remove from the oven and cut off the top third of each puff. Reserve the tops. Return the shells to the hot turned-off oven for 5 minutes, or until dry. Let cool, then set aside in a tightly covered container for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
6. To assemble the profiteroles, fill each small shell with vanilla ice cream and put the tops back in place. Arrange 3 on each plate and drizzle a little hot chocolate sauce over each serving.