Recipe: ‘Emily in Paris’ style Profiteroles au Chocolat

These Chef Gabriel-approved choux puffs are covered in a rich, decadent chocolate sauce made with bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, butter and more.

The thick, decadent sauce covering these little filled choux puffs is made with six ounces of fine bittersweet chocolate that you’ll want to drizzle on just about everything. The recipe, from “Emily in Paris: The Official Cookbook” (Weldon Owen, $32.50), can be broken up and assembled in stages, writes author Kate Laidlaw. For instance, make and bake the puffs ahead of time and freeze them for up to two weeks. Then, warm them in the oven at 375 degrees until just thawed and crisp. Let cool and fill with ice cream. Laidlaw suggests vanilla, salted caramel or pistachio, but we won’t fault you for choosing a chocolate flavor.

Profiteroles au Chocolat

Makes 10 to 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

Choux puffs:

½ cup whole milk

½ cup water

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs, beaten

Chocolate sauce:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 quart ice cream, such as vanilla, salted caramel or pistachio

DIRECTIONS

To make the puffs, position two racks in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk, water, butter and salt and bring to a boil. When the butter melts, remove the pan from the heat, add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until blended. Return the pan to medium heat and continue stirring until the mixture forms a ball and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool for 3 to 4 minutes.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, add the beaten eggs, a quarter at a time, to the dough, beating well after each addition until thoroughly incorporated, and the dough is smooth and shiny. Let the dough cool for 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 3/16-inch round tip. Pipe mounds about 1 inch in diameter (about 1 teaspoon dough) onto the prepared sheet pans, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You should have about 40 puffs.

Bake the puffs for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking until well puffed and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately prick the bottom of each puff with a thin wooden skewer or toothpick. Return to the oven, leave the oven door open and allow the puffs to dry out for about 15 minutes. Then remove from the oven and let the pastries cool completely on the pans on wire racks.

To make the chocolate sauce, combine the chocolate and corn syrup in a heatproof bowl and set over (but not touching) barely simmering water in a saucepan. Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate melts. Add the milk, butter and vanilla and stir until blended. Remove from heat.

Slice each puff in half horizontally, stopping just short of the opposite side. (The puff should open like a clam shell.) Place a small scoop of ice cream in the bottom half of each puff and replace the top. Arrange the filled puffs on individual plates. Top with the chocolate sauce and serve right away.

— “Emily in Paris: The Official Cookbook,” published by Weldon Owen 2022 Viacom International Inc.