Profiteroles with Whipped Cream and Ganache

A friend of mine, Brittani, had a small get together this weekend where she fried up some fresh fish from the Gulf, made cabbage salad, and put me in charge of dessert.  

We had been gardening that day, so I wanted to make something fairly easy that looked kind of impressive.  I kept hearing that profiteroles (which are essentially the shells that make up cream puffs and eclairs, I believe) were easy.  Let me just tell you, these were very easy and the results are so impressive.  My husband told me that I was just showing off!  Fill them up with a little whipped cream or cut them in half and stuff with ice cream.  I made a chocolate ganache to go with them, too. Yum!

The chocolate was still wet and everyone had started eating already!

Profiteroles

from: Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 extra-large eggs (I used 4 large eggs and they turned out well)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Heat the milk, butter, and salt over medium heat until scalded. 
3. When the butter is melted, add the flour all at once and beat it with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan.
4. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. 
5. Add the eggs and pulse until the eggs are incorporated into the dough and the mixture is thick.
6. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. (You can use a gallon bag with a corner cut out like me!)
7. Pipe in mounds 1 1/2 inches wide and 1-inch high onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should have about 18 puffs. 
8. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.) 
9. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit for another 10 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. (I took mine out after the first 20 minutes and they were fine for the first batch) Make a small slit in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape. Set aside to cool.

Whipped Cream

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1/4 cup of sugar

1. Put your bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
2. Pour in the whipping cream and sugar and turn on mixer.  Beat cream until you get stiff peaks.  You don't want it to be too soft because it will turn your puffs into mush.
3. To fill the cream puffs: put the whipped cream into a pastry bag or a gallon bag fitted with a small decorating tip.  Insert the tip into the slit you cut earlier, and squeeze gently until whipped cream starts to come out the sides a bit.
4. You can also make a ganache and dip the puffs into this when you are done filling them with whipped cream.

No chocolate for Brittani's kitties!  Sorry, Zoe.