Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Profiteroles

Profiteroles
“You’ve got to be in it to win it.”  I admit it.  Our family plays the lottery (but only when the jackpot gets big (because $4M just isn’t “enough”)).  We are not talking big sums of money spent on playing a game whose odds are worse than <almost anything else you can think of.>  As Travis turns 11, I am thinking about numbers and how David and I have won the lottery with him, Elizabeth and Andrew.  So here is a breakdown of the numbers 1 to 11:
  • You will always be our first born. 
  • There are 2 little people in this house who watch and emulate your every move. 
  • Together you are the 3 musketeers – you guys can get after it like no one else but when it’s good, it’s really, really good and it's fun to have a front row view into that bond. 
  • Why does no one tell you that the 4 year old check up is the worst ever? (This is a public service announcement to all mothers of children under 4.  You are welcome.)
  • They know the lines of most Peanuts cartoons by heart – do you?  “Lucy Van Pelt: ‘I'll give you five good reasons. One, two, three, four, FIVE!’ Linus Van Pelt: ‘Those are good reasons. Christmas is not only getting too commercial, it's getting too dangerous.’ ”
  • Do you remember the joke: Why is 6 afraid of 7?  Because 7 8 9.
  • After age 10, you have to become more creative with your finger gestures to indicate your age during the annual birthday picture.
  • Congratulations Travis!  You have survived Daddy’s and my “expert parenting” for 11 years now!  Happy Birthday!

What is better than combining pastry, ice cream and chocolate?  Well, just about nothin’… 

Ingredients:  

  1. 1 c milk
  2. ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
  3. Pinch of kosher salt
  4. 1 c all-purpose flour
  5. 4 extra-large eggs
  6. ½ c heavy cream
  7. 12 ozs semisweet chocolate chips
  8. 2 Tbsp honey
  9. Vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Heat the milk, butter, and salt over medium heat until scalded. When the butter is melted, add the flour all at once and beat it with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the eggs and pulse until the eggs are incorporated into the dough and the mixture is thick.

While some recipes call for putting the dough into a pastry bag, I didn’t have one so I used an ice cream scoop and a spoon.  Spoon about 18 balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (the balls should be about 1-½ inches wide and 1 inch.  If you want, wet your hands and you can lightly shape/mold them into little balls.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit for another 10 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Make a small slit in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape. Set aside to cool.

For the chocolate sauce (and I made half of what is listed in the ingredients), place the cream and chocolate chips in a bowl set over simmering water and stir just until the chocolate melts. Add the honey and stir until smooth. Set aside.

For serving, cut each profiterole in half crosswise, fill with a small scoop of ice cream, replace the top, and drizzle with slightly warm chocolate sauce.