Active Time

　　45 min

　　Total Time

　　1 1/4 hr

　　Leave it to the French to come up with the classiest way of doing an ice cream sundae. Hide the grown-up coffee ice cream inside a crisp puff of pastry (the same dough that cream puffs are made from), then drizzle it with full-bodied chocolate sauce.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

　　

For profiteroles:

1 quart coffee ice cream

　　6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

　　3/4 cup water

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　3/4 cup all-purpose flour

　　3 large eggs

　　

For chocolate sauce:

1/2 cup sugar

　　1 cup heavy cream

　　7 ounce fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped

　　1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy (optional)

　　

Equipment:

Equipment: a small (about 1 1/2-inch) ice cream scoop; a large pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip

　　large pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip

　　

Make profiteroles:

Step 1

Chill a small metal baking pan in freezer. Form 18 ice cream balls with scoop and freeze in chilled pan at least 1 hour (this will make serving faster).

　　

Step 2

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Butter a large baking sheet.

　　

Step 3

Bring butter, water, and salt to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until butter is melted. Reduce heat to medium, then add flour all at once and cook, beating with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan and forms a ball, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well with an electric mixer after each addition.

　　

Step 5

Transfer warm mixture to pastry bag and pipe 18 mounds (about 1 1/4 inches wide and 1 inch high) 1 inch apart on baking sheet.

　　

Step 6

Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes total. Prick each profiterole once with a skewer, then return to oven to dry, propping oven door slightly ajar, 3 minutes. Cool on sheet on a rack.

　　

Make chocolate sauce:

Step 7

Heat sugar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling pan occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.

　　

Step 8

Remove from heat, then add cream and a pinch of salt (mixture will bubble and steam). Return to heat and cook, stirring, until caramel has dissolved.

　　

Step 9

Remove from heat and add chocolate, whisking until melted, then whisk in vanilla and Cognac (if using). Keep warm, covered.

　　

Serve profiteroles:

Step 10

Halve profiteroles horizontally, then fill each with a ball of ice cream. Put 3 profiteroles on each plate and drizzle generously with warm chocolate sauce.

　　Cooks' notes:

　　·Ice cream balls can be frozen up to 1 day (cover with plastic wrap after 1 hour).

　　·Profiteroles can be baked 1 day ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature. Recrisp on a baking sheet in a 375°F oven 5 minutes. Cool before filling.