TWD: Baking with Julia - NOT Espresso Profiteroles

Our recipe this week for Tuesday's with Dorie was Espresso Profiteroles.  I am not a huge coffee fan and since I would be sharing this dessert with my 5 year old, I didn't fancy the idea of the extra caffeine for her right before bedtime.  Caffeine + 5 yr old = bad idea (in my house anyway).  And, to be honest, I just didn't feel like espresso. 

So I used water instead of coffee (boring, right?) and left out the espresso powder.  I could probably have jazzed it up more, but my creativity level was low at that moment.

These profiteroles were filled with ice cream.  YUM and EASY.  The recipe suggested cinnamon ice cream, which I admit would have been super delicious, however I didn't make homemade cinnamon ice cream (lazy) and I didn't find cinnamon ice cream in the crappy grocery store by my house.  (I decided to make these in the spur of the moment one day so the ingredients were not purchased at my regular fabulous grocery store.)  I found some salted caramel ice cream and, I must say, they were pretty tasty!

In addition, I was supposed to use Grand Marnier in the chocolate sauce.  I thought we had some but I couldn't find it and used Amaretto instead.  Did I deviate too much from the original recipe?  Maybe... 

Okay, this reminds me of a funny story about Grand Marnier that I just have to share.  Many moons ago, I visited my sister and she was making chocolate truffles for some event for work.  And she needed some Grand Marnier.  So we drove around to MANY liquor stores asking for Grand Marnier.  No one had it.  It was crazy!  How could this be?  Finally, I told my sister she should ask for "Grand Mar-i-ner" (pronounced totally wrong) and low and behold, we found that secret treasure!  We still laugh about this story together!  Ahhh...

Back to these profiteroles.  Easy and yummy.  That is all I have to say.  They LOOK like they should be hard but they aren't at all.  I love recipes like this!  Oh, and messy.  Messy is definitely a big component to these treats!
 

 A messy messy girl...

But a yummy dessert is worth getting a bit messy for!

This recipe can be found on pages 411-413 of Baking with Julia.  Be sure to check out the Tuesday's with Dorie blog and click on the LYL tab to see what the other bakers though of this recipe!

Espresso Profiteroles
adapted from Baking with Julia
makes 12-16 servings of 3 profiteroles each

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup brewed coffee (or water)
3/4 stick unsalted butter
2 TB sugar
1 TB finely ground espresso beans (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5-6 large eggs
1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water, for egg wash

Instructions:
Position the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 400F.

Put the milk, coffee/water, butter, sugar and espresso (if using) into a 2-quart sauce pan and bring to a full boil over medium heat.  Stir frequently with a wooden spoon until the butter is melted.  Continue to stir and add the flour all at once.  Stir energetically and without stopping until the flour is thoroughly incorporated.  Continue to cook and stir for another 30-45 seconds, while the dough forms a ball around the spoon.  A light crust will be visible on the bottom of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the dough into a medium bowl.  Immediately beat in the eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate each egg before adding the next one.  The first couple of egg will be most difficult, but it will get easier with each egg.  After you have incorporated 5 eggs, take a look at the dough. The dough is ready when, as you lift your spoon, it pulls up some of the dough and then detaches and forms a slowly bending peak.  If the dough is too thick and doesn't do this "peak", add the 6th egg.

You must pipe the dough while it is warm.  Spoon the dough (it is called choux paste) into a pastry bag fited with a 1/2 inch plain tip (or a star tip will work fine) and pipe quarter-sized puffs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between puffs.  If you do not have a pastry bag, a zip-top bag would work too, just cut off a corner and twist the top like a pastry bag.   Finish piping each puff with a small twist at the end, so there isn't a point on top.  It is like writing the letter C.  Or, give your puffs a point on top!  If you get a point, just dab the point with a moistened fingertip and it will go down.  Brush the pastries with the egg wash.   I forgot to do this!

Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350F and bake for another 5-7 minutes, until the pastries are golden and feel hollow.  Halfway through the baking period, rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back.  Transfer the sheets to cooling racks and allow the puffs to cool completely before cutting and filling.

Chocolate Sauce
(I halved this recipe and had PLENTY)
Ingredients: 
11 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups whole milk
6 TB light corn syrup
2 TB unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 TB Grand Marnier or other orange liquor (or other liquor of your liking!)

Instructions:
Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set nearby.  Put the milk and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Slowly pour the hot milk over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted.  Add the butter and continue to stir until the butter is melted and thoroughly incorporated into the sauce.  Stir in the liquor and serve while warm. 

You can make this sauce up to 1 week in advance, just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Warm the sauce in a double boiler or slowly in a microwave. 

To serve, cut each puff in half crosswise and fill with ice cream.  Drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.  Serve 3 puffs to each person.
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