Chocolate Profiteroles

Craquelin: To make these chocolate profiteroles, start by preparing the craquelin. Place the softened butter into a mixing bowl.

Add the brown sugar and mix using a spatula.

Add the flour...

...and mix until you get a homogeneous dough.

Place the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper.

Cover with a second sheet of parchment paper and flatten it with the palm of your hand.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of 2 to 3 mm. Place in the freezer. This craquelin can be made several days in advance.

Choux pastry: Prepare all the ingredients.

Place the water, milk, butter, and salt in a saucepan over the heat.

Bring to a boil. Once the butter is fully melted...

...remove from the heat and add the flour all at once.

Stir with a spatula, ensuring there are no lumps.

This creates a dough called "panade." Dry out the panade over the heat, stirring with the spatula, until it pulls away from the sides of the saucepan and forms a ball.

When the panade is ready, a slight white film will form at the bottom of the pan. This is a sign that it has dried out sufficiently.

Transfer this dough to the stand mixer bowl...

...and let it cool for 1 to 2 minutes while mixing with the paddle attachment.

Gradually incorporate the eggs in 4 or 5 batches. The eggs should be blended and strained beforehand. Mixing can be done with a spatula manually or at low speed if using a stand mixer.

At first, the eggs will be difficult to incorporate, but they will gradually blend into the panade.

Add the second portion of eggs while continuing to mix.

Mix until fully incorporated.

Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle, then resume mixing at low speed.

Add the remaining eggs and mix again until fully incorporated. Repeat until no eggs remain.

At this stage, the dough should still be slightly firm, depending on how much the panade has been dried out.

Add cold milk (straight from the fridge) in small batches.

Check the consistency of the dough by lifting the paddle and observing how it flows. The consistency should be soft and glossy. Add more milk if needed.

Run a spatula through the dough to create a trench. If the consistency is right, the trench should close slowly.
The choux pastry is now done and should be used immediately.

Vanilla ice cream: Start by preparing all the ingredients for the crème anglaise, which serves as the base.

Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.

In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil with the split vanilla pod and seeds.

In a separate bowl, clarify the eggs one by one. Sprinkle the sugar over the egg yolks...

...and beat together using a whisk.

Blanch the egg yolks by whisking them with the sugar.

When the milk comes to a boil...

...pour it over the egg and sugar mixture...

...and whisk well.

Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan.

Cook gently over very low heat or a medium-heat cooking plate.

Stir constantly during cooking. Use a heat-resistant spatula (such as a maryse) and stir in 8-shaped motions to ensure even cooking and prevent the custard from sticking or curdling.
This cooking method is called "à la nappe." The term refers to the fact that when properly cooked, the custard should coat the spatula evenly. This step is delicate—if the heat is too high, the eggs may coagulate and form lumps.
For better control, use a probe thermometer and cook the custard until it reaches 82°C while stirring continuously with the spatula.

Once cooked, pass the custard through a fine strainer...

...pressing the vanilla pod to extract all remaining seeds...

...and let it cool while stirring frequently. Once your crème anglaise is cold, store it in the fridge.

Cover a perforated baking sheet with a choux baking mat.

Pipe the choux pastry using a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle Ø 12mm. Pipe the choux puffs, using the guides printed on the silicone mat...

...as shown in the photo.

Remove the craquelin from the freezer and peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Place this sheet back on top of the craquelin and flip it over to remove the second parchment paper sheet. Cut out craquelin discs using a round cutter Ø 3.5cm. This step must be done quickly before the craquelin softens.

Place one craquelin disc on the surface of each choux, making sure it is well centred.

Repeat the operation for all the choux...

...until you achieve this result. Bake in a ventilated oven preheated to 180°C for 25 to 30 minutes. Baking time may vary depending on the oven.

Once baked, remove the choux from the oven and let them cool at room temperature.

Using craquelin discs with choux ensures they are uniform and round, unlike choux baked without craquelin.

Vanilla ice cream (continued): Once the vanilla crème anglaise has cooled, pour it into the removable bowl of the ice cream machine.

Close the machine and place the motor unit on top. The process may vary depending on which type of ice cream churner you're using. Turn on the machine. Churning time is approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

Dark chocolate sauce: Meanwhile, pour the milk into a saucepan and start heating.

Once the milk reaches a boil...

...pour it over the dark chocolate pistoles placed in a mixing bowl. Let the chocolate sit for 1 minute to begin melting in the hot milk.

Start whisking...

...until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.

The result should be a perfectly smooth dark chocolate sauce with a ribbon-like consistency, as shown in the photo. If needed, use a hand blender to fully emulsify the sauce.

When the vanilla ice cream is set, remove the bowl...

...and transfer the ice cream into a container, smoothing the surface. Cover with plastic wrap in direct contact with the ice cream and store in the freezer.

Assembly: Toast the sliced almonds in a hot, dry pan. Alternatively, for an even roast, microwave them at full power in 2-3 minute intervals, stirring every time, until you get the desired golden colour.

Once the almonds are golden, remove them from the heat and let them cool.

Take the cooled choux puffs...

...and slice them in half with a serrated cake knife.

This is what the result should look like.

Arrange 3 choux puff bases on a serving plate (serve 3 choux puffs per person).

Remove the vanilla ice cream from the freezer and scoop a portion using a scoop. I used a 40-per-litre portion scoop.

Carefully scoop vanilla ice cream onto the choux puff bases.

Repeat the operation for all 3 choux puffs.

Cover the choux bases with the craquelin choux caps.

Drizzle the choux puffs with warm dark chocolate sauce. If needed, reheat the sauce beforehand.

Finish by sprinkling the toasted sliced almonds over the chocolate sauce. The chocolate profiteroles are now ready and should be served immediately before the ice cream melts. Enjoy this delicious dessert!