Home / Recipes / Dessert / Chocolate / Ina Garten’s Profiteroles Recipe
Published on May 9, 2014 · Updated on September 12, 2020 · By Aysegul Sanford
I am still trying to figure out what I should do or how I should feel on mother’s day. What happens to those who do not have a mother on mother’s day?It is hard to watch the mother’s day related commercials or to read e-mails asking me what I am planning to get for my mother. I know it is all marketing to sell their products, but it feels like...
Yields: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Jump to Recipe
I am still trying to figure out what I should do or how I should feel on mother’s day. What happens to those who do not have a mother on mother’s day?
It is hard to watch the mother’s day related commercials or to read e-mails asking me what I am planning to get for my mother. I know it is all marketing to sell their products, but it feels like salt on my wound.
Loosing someone you love gives you a different perspective in life. In time, you learn to deal with the pain and realize things will never be the same. More than anything, you grow up. At least that is what happened (or is still happening) to me.
I feel like I am not the person that I used to be. Just to give you an example, I used to feel so angry when my mother ate desserts. She was a diabetic and was supposed to be very careful with her sugar consumption. She loved sweets and couldn’tcare less. She would tell me that if she is going to die from eating what she loved, so be it.
I never understood her. At least at the time…
Today when I look back, I am glad she ate all the sweets she wanted. It made her happy, and now for me, it feels good to know that she was happy.
Profiteroles were my mother’s favorite dessert. I grew up listening to the story about how she would go to the small bakery by her high school every day after school to eat profiteroles with her friends. In several occasions she told me that she wouldn’t mind being hungry all day so that she would have enough money to spend on profiteroles.
Like I said, I never understood how one would love something so much knowing that it is not good for you. I guess I couldn’t because I have a different personality. However, I am changed. This experience taughtme to respect other people’s decisions about their lives.
Today, I know that life is and should be all about those moments that we are happy. At the end of the day, happy moments are all we can take with us when we die. At least, that is my hope.
So I decided to make this mother’s day a day for me to celebrate those happy moments that I had with my mother when we made and ate profiteroles together. I am a very lucky daughter for having such a wonderful mother, who not only thought me how to cook but also how to enjoy eating good food.
As complicated as they may look, these profiteroles are so easy and quick to make. After making the dough (pate au choux) all you have to do is bake it for 18-20 minutes. Once baked, cut each ball in half, place a scoop of your favorite ice cream (I love my homemade vanilla ice cream) in the middle, and drizzle it with a quick chocolate sauce. I love some chopped pistachios on top for some color and crunch, but it is totally optional.
Here, I even made a video of how it looks, which I would like to call “food p*rn for all ages.”
Profiteroles
By Aysegul Sanford
Yields: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup 8 fluid oz. milk
- 1 stick 4 ounces unsalted butter
- 1 cup 5 ounces all-purpose flour
- pinch of kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- 1 cup 8 fluid ounces heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1/4 cup pistachios chopped (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Heat milk, butter, and salt in a small pan over medium heat. When the butter melts and the liquid reaches the point right before it boils, add the flour and mix vigorously until the mixture becomes thick and looks like a dough.
Turn the heat to low and continue mixing for 2 minutes. Once the dough feels like it’s sticking to the bottom of the pan, transfer it into a food processor.
Wait for the dough to cool a bit, but not completely, just enough so that it won’t cook the eggs. Then, add one egg and pulse 5-6 times. Repeat this process with the rest of the eggs until they all have been incorporated and the mixture turns into thick dough.
Put the thick mixture into a pastry bag with a hollow round tip and squeeze it into 1.5 inches wide and 1 inch high circles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place it in an oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly brown.
In the meantime make the chocolate sauce. Heat heavy cream, honey, and sugar in a small pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is melted—right before boiling point.
Place the chopped chocolate into a bowl and pour the melted cream mixture and coffee over it. Whisk vigorously until smooth.
To assemble: Allow the profiterole puffs to cool on the kitchen counter for 5 minutes. Cut each puff in half and let the steam escape. Place a scoop of ice cream in between each puff. Drizzle chocolate over each profiterole as desired. If preferred, sprinkle chopped pistachios over them.
Serve.
Notes
Note: Depending on the size of your balls, you should get 25-28 balls.[br][br][u]Update to the recipe on March 15th, 2015:[/u] I just made this again in my friend's house in Chicago, and realized something that I wanted to share with you. [br]If you follow the recipe and cook the milk, butter, salt, and flour combination for only 3-5 minutes, it may not be enough. The batter has to cook until it is sticking to the bottom of the pan while you are constantly stirring it. As it cooks, you'll realize that it feels like if you stop stirring it would burn. It will also change some of its color (turn a little more yellowish). For some reason, it took much longer than 3 minutes for it to reach to the level of consistency I wanted.[br]I came back home (to Virgin Gorda) and made it again. I tried the same exact recipe and it reached to the consistency I wanted so much faster than it did in my friend's house in Chicago.[br]So please be aware that the amount of cooking times may vary based on the location and altitude that you are in.
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @FoolproofLiving or tag #foolproofeats!
This recipe is adapted with changes from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Pariscookbook.
Like this recipe? Consider sharing:
You might also like:
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
Turkish Meatballs {VIDEO}
Healthier Apple Crumble {VIDEO}
About Aysegul Sanford
Hello Friend! I’m Aysegul but you can call me “Ice.” I’m the cook/recipe-tester/photographer behind this site.
If you’re looking for approachable yet creative recipes made with everyday ingredients, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’re all about recipes that have been meticulously tested to provide you with a truly foolproof cooking experience regardless of your level of cooking.
Check out my about page to learn more about me.
Did you make a recipe? Be sure to tag @foolproofliving on Instagram so that I can see.
CLAIM YOUR
FREE E-BOOK
Sign up to get your free 50-page e-book of wholesome vegetarian salad recipes and receive weekly updates and goodies from me.
Reader Interactions
Casey
Love the “p*rn” – thanks for sharing 🙂Reply
Daniele K
Ice, what a nice tribute to your mom! hugs to you and Dwight from Mark and me.
Reply
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Daniele,
Thank you so much for your kind words.
Hope all is well with you guys.
Hugs from us to you guys too.
Cheers!
IceReply
Ala
To echo Berenice, thank you for opening up and sharing this touching story about your experience with your mom. It’s hard sometimes to look back on these moments and really cherish them for what they were–and even more difficult sometimes to empathize with strange, seemingly illogical points of view until we’re suddenly forced to stand in someone else’s shoes for the first time. This is a lovely recipe and it’s definitely clear why your mom loved it so much.
Reply
Aysegul Sanford
Dearest Ala,
I am a little bit of a wreck today.
Though getting this note from you put a smile on my face.
Thank you!Reply
Berenice
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe and story behind it with all of us!! Pablo, Rodrí, my mom and I enjoyed this delicious profiteroles sooooo much!!!
Reply
Aysegul Sanford
Aww thank you Berenice..
I am glad you guys got a chance to taste it.
We should make it again but this time all together… 🙂
XOXO
IceReply
