Short and Sweet: Profiterole Sundaes with Warm Ganache
Here’s a delicious way to ring out 2012. I adore profiteroles – I used to choose chocolate-covered cream puffs instead of a birthday cake. I sometimes succumb to the frozen tubs at the grocery store (perfect for chocolate fondue, by the way), but they’re not at all hard to make from scratch. My friend Shaina’s new book, Desserts in Jars, has a recipe for profiteroles in jars, which is kind of a fun presentation. I still have a plethora of jars in the basement.
Fill the cooled profiteroles with cream or ice cream – peppermint ice cream would be pretty fab, no? – then top with warm chocolate or hot fudge sauce. I’ve taken to making a quick ganache by simmering a cup of cream, then adding 8 oz. chopped dark chocolate, letting it sit, then stirring until smooth.
Profiteroles
Adapted from the awesome Ina Garten
1 cup milk or water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggssweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Heat the milk, butter, and salt over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the flour all at once and beat it with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together, cleaning the sides of the pot, and forms a dough. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes, then transfer to the bowl of a food processor or a mixing bowl, add the eggs and pulse or beat after each addition until the eggs are incorporated into the dough and the mixture is thick.
Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip, or pull out a spoon. Pipe or drop in mounds 1 1/2 inches wide and an inch high onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit for another 10 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Poke a small slit with a thin, pointy knife in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape. Set aside to cool.
December 31 2012 02:42 pm | dessert
Carolyn on 31 Dec 2012 at 4:10 pm #
Julie, the link I had to your Family Kitchen posts is broken – I just spent a bunch of minutes on the Babble site trying to find your posts, with no success. Can you send me the link? Happy New Year!
Esmeralda on 31 Dec 2012 at 4:10 pm #
Swooooon. This actually made me feel dizzy with desire. Perfect way to ring in 2013!
Thanks for all the great food ideas and kindness in 2012, Julie. You’ve infused me with confidence and courage in cooking, and your strength and sense of humour are a source of inspiration in my life.
Hey, is there an easy way to make creme fraiche, or a reasonable facsimile? I crave it, but I’m scared to try it.
Happy New Year!
Maureen on 31 Dec 2012 at 4:40 pm #
Julie, catching up on the past week of your posts and now I want to make everything, just as we hit the virtuous month! All the best to you, Mike and W and your family for a New Year filled with people and experiences that make you happy. You’re one of the people that makes me happy!
Rhonda on 31 Dec 2012 at 6:30 pm #
Julie…just wanted to say thank you for your work this year. You don’t see those of us that pour over your website, pulling up recipes to add to our repertoire but we are out here and are thankful for your efforts! Yours is my go to site for anything I am considering for dinner and your Grazing book is always my first choice for snacks and apps. So…from all of us to you, happy new year and all the best for 2013!
Stacey on 01 Jan 2013 at 1:11 am #
We rung in the new year with your spinach and artichoke dip (it was devoured FAST). All of your books and blog are a “go-to” for me. I’ve been known to tell my husband, “I’ll bet Julie has made that!” I wish I hadn’t been too shy to come to your pierogi party. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us! All the best for you and your family in 2013!
Laurie from Burnaby on 02 Jan 2013 at 1:09 pm #
happy New Year, Julie.
Thank you for the recipes, and the stories, which lighten my day