Classic Cream Puffs With Chocolate Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and quickly stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir until a film forms on the bottom of the pan.
• Remove from heat and transfer contents to a bowl to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously to entirely incorporate egg after each addition.
• For the egg wash, whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.
• Transfer the pate a choux to a large pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip. Pipe 1-1/2-inch rounds onto each prepared pan. Gently smooth the pointed peaks with a moistened finger, rounding tops to ensure even rising. Brush tops with reserved egg wash. Bake until puffs rise and are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.
• Transfer pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-inch plain round tip. Insert the tip into the opening of each pastry, and pipe to fill with pastry cream. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Line one baking sheet with a Silpat and a second one with parchment paper (or line both sheets with parchment if you don't have a Silpat). Set up a heavy-duty mixer with the paddle attachment.
• Combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the flour all at once, and stir rapidly with a stiff heatproof or wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and the bottom of the pan is clean, with no dough sticking to it. The dough should be glossy and smooth but still damp.
• Enough moisture must evaporate from the dough to allow it to absorb more fat when the eggs are added. Continue to stir for about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent the dough from coloring. A thin coating will form on the bottom and sides of the pan. When enough moisture has evaporated, steam will rise from the dough and there will be the nutty aroma of cooked flour.
• Immediately transfer the dough to the mixer bowl and mix for a few seconds to release some of the heat from the dough. With the mixer on medium speed, add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one; scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Turn off the machine. Lift some of the dough on a rubber spatula, then turn the spatula to let it run off: It should fall off the spatula very slowly; if it doesn't move at all or is very dry and falls off in one clump, beat in the additional egg.
• Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe 15 disks (this will give you 3 extras for testing) about 1 1/2 inches across and just under 1/2 inch thick on the Silpat-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between them, as they will expand when baked. Pipe the remainder on the other sheet. (You will have about 4 dozen in all.) Bake the 15 puffs for the recipe and freeze the ones on the second baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer container and freeze for another time.
• Bake the puffs for 10 minutes, turn the sheet around, turn the oven down to 350°F, and bake 15 minutes more. Remove one puff and break it open: It should be hollow inside and not gooey or eggy; if it is still moist, return it to the oven and check in 5 minutes. Cool the puffs completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container until serving time.
• To serve:
• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Warm the chocolate sauce in a double boiler or a microwave. Warm the profiteroles on a baking sheet in the oven.
• Split each profiterole in half and arrange 3 on each plate. Place a small scoop of ice cream in the bottom half of each profiterole and top with the lid. Spoon the sauce over.

Steps:

• Combine ingredients in a medium heatproof bowl; microwave on high for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth.

Steps:

• Combine water and butter in a heavy saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted and water comes to a boil.
• Add all the flour and salt.
• Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and leaves side of pan, forming a ball.
• Turn off heat and add first egg. Beat until well mixed. (You can use an electric mixer to beat in eggs.
• Continue adding eggs, one at a time, beating well after the addition of each egg.
• Add the egg white last.
• Beat until smooth.
• Cover lightly and let stand until cool.
• Spoon pastry into icing bag with a 1-inch plain piping tube attached and pipe into large puffs on a lightly-greased baking sheet. Do not place too close together.
• Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes longer or until dry.
• Do not under cook or they will "fall" and be unrecoverable.
• As soon as the puffs have been removed from the oven, make a slit in the side of each.
• Let cool thoroughly on wire racks.
• Filling: Whip the cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating gently. Add the brandy, a small amount at a time. Fold in the egg white gently, but thoroughly.
• Make a small hole in the side of each puff with the tip of a small knife.
• Pipe whipped cream into each puff.
• Dust generously with confectioners' sugar.