Chocolate Profiteroles

This mouth watering dessert is served in cafes throughout France. Sometimes the profiteroles are filled with whipped cream instead of ice cream, but they are always drizzled with chocolate sauce.

This recipe serves 4-6

Ingredients:

275g or 10 oz plain chocolate

750ml or 1 and 1/4 pints or 3 cups vanilla ice cream

For the profiteroles:

110g or 3 and 1/4 0z or 3/4 cup plain flour

1.5ml or 1/4tsp salt

pinch of freshly greated nutmeg

75g or 3oz or 6tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

3 eggs

Here’s how:

1. Preheat the oven to 200degrees centigrade or 400 degrees F or Gas 6 and butter a baking sheet.

2. To make the profiteroles, sift together the flour, salt and nutmeg. In a medium saucepan, bring the butter and 174ml or 6floz or 3/4 cup of water to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the dry ingredients all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon for about 1 minutes until well blended and the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, then set the pan over low heat and cook the mixture for about 2 minutes, beating contantly. Remove from the heat.

3. Beat one egg in a small bowl and set aside. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, to the flour mixture, beating well. Add the beaten egg gradually until the dough is smooth and shiny; it should fall slowly when dropped from a spoon.

4. Using a tablespoon, drop the dough on the baking sheet in 12 mounds. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is well risen and browned. Turn off the oven and leave the puffs to cool with the oven door open.

5. To make the sauce, place the chocolate and 120ml or 4floz or 1/2 cup of warm water in a double boiler or in a bowl over a pan of hot water and melt, stirring occasoinally.

6. Split the profiteroles in half and put a small scoop of ice cream in each. Arrange on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the top and serve at once.