Here’s a weird fact about me!  I always pay close attention to what my friends/family order when we’re at a restaurant.  It’s only because I’m nosy, weird, and I desperately want to learn their taste buds. I also like figure out what they’ll order when they pick up a menu. I take a guess in my head, and when I’m right, I feel awesome. My brother and husband always order duck or some other MEAT. Carbs always seal the deal for their entrees. My dad orders fish or chicken and makes them sub greens for carbs (he’s that guy!). He also never orders dessert BUT that doesn’t stop him from eating mine. My mom will start with a beet salad, and for her entree she picks the lamb or something pork related. She always makes room for dessert when she sees profiteroles on a dessert menu. ALWAYS. This type of information comes in handy.

So, when it came to Mother’s Day last month (YES I’m SOO BEHIND!), I knew exactly what to make my mom for the special day. Profiteroles!  I learned how to make them at my Sur La Table class a few months back and Mother’s Day & my 31 comes before 32 list put me to the test. #8 Make cream puffs for my mom. (She LOVES profiteroles!)= COMPLETED.

They were SCRUMPTIOUS and well received! A little bit of effort but totally worth it! My mom is worth it. As it turns out, Pate a Choux is pretty fun to make and the dough is kind of addictive if you’re into eating dough like I am.  If you want to give someone a nice gift, make them something they’d order in a restaurant. Surprise them! I almost always go for the bread pudding, anything with bananas or homemade donuts. My birthday is in August. I’m just planning ahead here.

And we’re off!!

Melt the butter with water over the stove.

Add in the flour and STIR.

Put the mixture in a stand mixer and beat….cooling it down. Add one egg at a time. GO!

You get something like THIS!

Pipe your puffs onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

See?

Now with a wet finger, push the tops down. NOW BAKE!

Hello PUFFS!!

Cut them in half and scoop some ice cream in each.

Hello profiterole. Don’t mind if I do….

I put them in the freezer for safe keeping while I got my chocolate sauce ready. Let’s do it.

Chocolate sauce concoction!

MELT!

That is my husband being naughty. Who can resist?

Dip in your puffs and you’re ready to go!

Add some berries & a mint leaf. Extra fancy!

Chocolate not your thing? Make a raspberry coulis!

Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce

makes about 24 profiteroles

(recipe from from the Sur La Table class)

To make the pate a choux: In a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a gentle boil over medium high heat, stirring to melt the butter completely. Add all the flour at once and continue to stir until the flour is incorporated and the dough becomes a mass that pulls away from the sides of the pot. Remove from the heat ans scrape the dough into a mixing bowl. Using a standing or hand held mixer, beat the dough on medium to cool it off a bit. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. When all the eggs have been incorporated, the dough should be thick, smooth, and glossy paste.

Pipe 24 puffs on the lined baking sheets- about 2 inches apart. Keep mounds as high and round as possible. With a wet finger, gently tap the tops of each profiterole to remove the point and round the top. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce (see below).

Reduce the heat to 350F and continue to cook the puffs for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size. Do not open the oven door or remove pans from the oven until the puffs are firm to the touch. The profiteroles should be golden brown and well-risen. Allow the shells to cool before filling.

Using a serrated knife, slice the pastry puffs almost in half (I cut through them completely). Place 3 profiteroles on each dessert plate and fill with a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the top; garnish with fruit & a mint leaf

For the Chocolate Sauce

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, cut in chunks (I used morsels!)
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine the cream and butter in a small heavy bottomed sauced pan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until bubbles appear around the sides of the pot, but do not allow the cream to boil. Mix in the chocolate and vanilla; remove from the heat and stir until the chocolate melts and the sauce is smooth.