Profiteroles au chocolat

Ingredients

For the choux pastry :
- 10 cl [ 31/2 fl oz] water
- 40 gr [11/2 oz] unsalted butter
- 80 gr [3 oz] plain four
- 2 big eggs
- 1 Tbspoon sugar
- 1 pinch salt
To garnish :
- 400 ml [14 fl oz] vanilla ice cream
- 250 gr [9 oz] plain dark chocolate
- 6 Tbspoons single cream
- 3 Tbspoons milk

Preparation method

Prep: 50 mins. Cook: Included in prep time
1- Pre-heat oven to 200°C / 400°F
2- Prepare the choux pastry : in a medium saucepan, pour the water, salt and the cubed butter. Bring to the boil and let the butter melt.
3- Remove from heat and add the flour and sugar all at once. Sharply stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is well blended ; the pastry must become a ball which does not stick to the bottom on the pan. Let it cold for just a few minutes.
4- One after the other, add the 2 eggs in the paste, and beat vigourously to incorporate them ; finish turning for a while still with the wooden spoon.
5- On a baking sheet, display balls of paste ; they must be the size of a walnut and you can easily do it using two teaspoons. Leave space between each for they will rise.
6- Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the oven off, leave the oven door half-open and let the choux dry inside for another 15 minutes.

7- With a pointed and sharp knife, split the choux in halves (horizontally).
8- Prepare the chocolate sauce : cut the chocolate in small squares and put them in a small heavy saucepan with 3 spoons of milk. Melt the whole over a low heat, stirring non stop with a wooden spoon until smooth. The chocolate must not stick to the pan (add one or two spoons of water if it does). Add the double cream and mix.
9- Quickly put a small ball of ice cream in each choux, display them evenly in the ear dishes, pour the chocolate sauce over.

Serve right away.
You can chose to pour only half of the chocolate sauce on the profiteroles and serve some extra in separate small saucers...

Steps 1 to 6 can be done a few hours ahead.