Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Espresso Profiteroles


This was a three in one recipe.  Yes the recipe states espresso profiteroles only, but embedded in it are three separate recipes: the profiterole itself, cinnamon ice cream and chocolate sauce.   I did by chance happen to read this recipe ahead of time, so I was not left with a trifecta of recipes to do the day before our posts.  Phew.

I made the chocolate sauce a week ahead of time (and snacked on it all week).  This was by far, my favorite part of the three-part-recipe and so easy to make.  I will stash the recipe away as a stand-by chocolate sauce, although I would use less sweetener than called for, as I like the chocolate to come through a bit more than it did.  

I simplified when it came to the ice cream part.  As I do not have an ice cream maker, I simply softened some vanilla ice cream I had and added a teaspoon or so of cinnamon and refroze it.

The profiteroles were surprisingly easy to whip up.  They are made by first making a paste called pate a choux.  I have never made anything quite like it.  It requires heating up milk with sugar, butter to a boil, adding flour and then whipping in eggs one at a time.  And every time an egg is added it all falls apart, but with mixing it comes back together just in time to add another egg.  This paste is then piped warm onto a sheet and baked, making profiteroles.  Now these are petite profiteroles and I wonder what method is use to make the larger ones that I am more familiar with?  Or it's cousin (I am assuming they are related) the cream puff? (Wisconsin State Fair anyone?)  And these profiteroles had a hint of espresso flavor due to a touch of coffee and instant espresso added to the heated milk mixture.

To put all three recipes together was simple.  Slice a profiterole, sandwich ice cream in between top and bottom and drizzle all with warm chocolate sauce.   It was quite delicious all put together: cinnamon, coffee, chocolate.  Seriously difficult to mess up with that combination.

And despite my efforts at being on top of things with this three part recipe, I only managed to take a few not-so-great late night pictures of the whole thing put together.

This post participates in Tuesdays with Dorie.  


Rhiannon almost 2!


4 comments:

  1. Super yummy! We've been enjoying the leftover sauce on our leftover ice cream - thanks!

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  2. That is what is so great about profiteroles - easy and elegant! They look wonderful.

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  3. I agree.. they were surprisingly easy.. although its so hot and humid .. that I changed the ice-cream with some chocolate cream!! and yes, the chocolate sauce was my fav part too!!

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  4. Great looking profiteroles! The choux pastry is strange isn't it? I still can't believe it works!

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