Can we all just stop pretending like it’s easy to take pictures of ice cream? It’s not. It’s melty. It’s madness. Can we just let it be what it is? Geez! We’re not superheros!
I remember the days when I just ate ice cream… and didn’t take picture of ice cream and then eat mostly melted ice cream. Those were the days when we just… you know… ate food. WEIRD!
Nowadays (I love that word, it makes me feel old), I always have my camera with me in the kitchen. It’s caked in an almost embarrassing amount of flour. It’s ridiculous and wonderful and I’m glad you’re here to see the results.
Let’s make puffs now.
We’ve approached pate a choux dough before. Remember the Strawberry Cream Puffs with Milk Chocolate Sauce? Yea… so delicious and much less melty than ice cream.
I said it then and I’ll say it now… pate a choux dough is waaaay easier than your brain would have you think!
It all starts very simply with butter, water, flour, salt, and eggs. It’s seems like a fairly straight forward pastry dough…
… until you realize you have to cook the dough on the stovetop.
This might seem a little strange, and surely you’ll feel like you’ve ruined this dough (and everything ever) for at least 15 of the 447 seconds it takes to boil the water and stir in the flour. I did. I understand you.
The cooked dough is beaten with eggs. You’ll feel like you’ve made an insurmountable error for about 18 of the 334 seconds in takes to beat the eggs into the dough.
You’ll wonder why you ever started taking pictures of food to begin with. You’ll wonder why you didn’t just adopt three cats, quit your job, and eat Twizzlers every day all day while you had the chance… UM.
Don’t worry. The dough will come together and you’ll feel compelled to pick up your camera and take pictures of your glossy success. I did. I understand you.
Warm pastry dough is piped onto a parchment covered baking sheet and you’ll wonder how these humble little coins will ever be light and fluffy. It just doesn’t make sense.
But it does make sense because look at this! It’s really amazing how these puffs transform into light, hollow, and airy pastry. We have the eggs to thank. Eggs do all the heavy lifting (literally) in these little pastry bites. Enough space in created for each pastry to be halved and filled with ice cream.
Now would be a good time to find some napkins and a washcloth. It’s about to get messy. Flour on the camera is one thing… melted ice cream on the camera is far less endearing.
It’s called the Scoop and Shoot… and it has to happen very quickly.
Would now be a good time to tell you that I ate nearly the entire pint of ice cream while shooting these puffs. It was a very tense and melty situation. It had to go somewhere!
Because enough is rarely ever enough, I think we should add warm, dark chocolate.
I’m ok with this melty situation. It simple means that you have to pop one of these profiterols in your mouth very quickly. One bite. Teeth freeze . Brain freeze. You’ll feel like you’ve made a terrible mistake (and maybe you have) but you can chew through it… and you can’t chew through most mistakes. Also, most mistakes don’t taste like mint chocolate chip ice cream and warm chocolate sauce… so maybe this isn’t a mistake after all.
Hmmm…
You better try another just to be sure.
All images captured on the Canon RebelT5i.
Mint Chocolate Chip Profiteroles
makes 18-22 profiteroles
adapted from epicurious
1 quart mint chocolate chip ice cream
For the Profiteroles:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
For the Chocolate Sauce:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon bourbon (or pure vanilla extract)
Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, add butter, water, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted. Once butter is melted, add flour and stir to combine. For about 15 seconds you’ll think you’ve made a terrible and lumpy mistake. Keep stirring. After about 30 seconds, the mixture will pull away from the sides and form a ball. Cook for 1 minute more.
Remove dough from the pan and place in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, just to release some of the heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute in between each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each egg addition. Mixture will be glossy and smooth, thick but still just pourable.
Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch found tip.
Pipe mounds onto prepared baking sheets. Mounds should be about 1 1/4-inch wide and 1-inch tall.
Place in the oven and allow to bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed, cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheets.
While the profiteroles cool, make the chocolate sauce.
Place sugar in an even layer across the bottom of a medium saucepan. Cook sugar (yes… just the sugar) over medium heat until the sugar begins to melt and become golden brown. Don’t stir the sugar, just swirl it to ensure even cooking.
When the sugar has melted to a deep amber color, remove from heat and stir in heavy cream. The mixture will bubble and sizzle, and some of the melted sugar may seize. That’s ok. Return to low heat and stir until any seized sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in salt, chocolate chunks, and bourbon. Stir until chocolate is melted. Set aside but keep warm.
To assemble the dessert, slice each profiterole in half. Top one half with a small scoop of ice cream. Place the lid over the ice cream, drizzle with warm chocolate sauce and serve immediately.
The plain profiteroles can we stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If they get soft, place them in a warm oven for a few moments to dry them out.
Aysha
Hi Joy! I made these but with some difficulty. My batter was a bit too runny after I added the last egg. I continued to beat but it didn’t stiffen. I panicked and added more flour, which didn’t work. Then I cooked it again on the stove. FInally it thickened and they came out nicely.
What do you think I did wrong? Did I not let it cook enough to start?
Thanks,
joythebaker
perhaps you didn’t cook the dough enough over the fire the first time around?
Aysha
Perhaps or I didn’t beat it enough. I don’t have a Kitchen Aid.
I really appreciate you replying Joy! Your blog and recipes have helped me stay sane, happy and fatty after I moved from Santa Monica to Quebec City. Every time I m on the blog, I feel closer to home.
I really truly love you!
Postres Faciles
These great chocolate profiteroles. I’ve loved and I will cook this afternoon.
Thanks and regards
Seanna Lea
These look like an almost perfect breakfast! Dairy, eggs, grain… yum!
Aravis
I ran into this melting problem last year when I made homemade It’s It sandwiches! I think you’re from San Francisco (right?), so you may know what I’m talking about. Two oatmeal cookies, vanilla ice cream, the whole thing covered in dark chocolate … Homesickness will make you do crazy things. Like spend hours over a period of three days baking, cooling, scooping, watching ice cream melt, cursing, freezing, scooping again, melting chocolate, dipping, freezing, and dipping some more.
It was so worth it.
Rebecca
This has definietly tempted me to make my first choux bun!!!
Jayne
I’ve NEVER filled profiteroles with ice cream before! And that’s a super brilliant idea! Not always for custards, are they? :-)
Siobhan
They look amazing!
Emily
These look soooo amazing! So much so that I had to make them this weekend :) Just a question/comment- I followed your instructions and my dough did not come together- just stayed very soupy, so I started over and this time brought the water/butter mixture to a boil as it says to do in The Gourmet Cookbook, and it worked. Just wondering if you forgot to put that step in the instructions? Or if it worked for you just keeping it on low heat…. P.S. I totally love your website- so pretty and inspiring!
Sue from Pleasanton
The portion of the post where Joy talks about the recipe, she mention bringing the water, butter, salt to a boil.
Rei
Looks amazing… can’t wait to make some!
PS What did Canon sponsor you with?
Christina
ooo I like the photography tip! and profiteroles.
Kara
Yum! I love little pastries. Had something similar on a recent Disney cruise that was filled with a hazelnut cream.
anna
do you love how being a food blogger = all your gadgets = covered in flour/sugar/other things? i have a crusty laptop and a floury camera too. these are very pretty! i have sort of a texture aversion to creamy/bready things (eclairs are my nightmare), but your ice cream looks so pretty here and your pastrys so fluffy. i think i could handle these.
Rocky Mountain Woman
I use AP mode also and I hardly ever just eat anymore. It’s picture, picture, picture, picture, eat – rinse and repeat
Great recipe!
Yolène @ Crème de Citron
These little profiteroles look really délicieuses! I love making choux pastry, challenging but hey, look at what you get to eat afterwards! And they are the story of my French childhood, so may profiteroles eaten then…
Becca from Cookie Jar Treats
I love profiteroles. They re so puffy and soft and yummy and the best vehicle for almost everything! Like ice cream…and pudding, chocolate pudding and the best thing of all: creamy vanilla custard! :)
StyleLovely
ummmmm…. i can smell it!
:)
Tracy | Peanut Butter and Onion
Soo cute.!
Miss Kim @ behgopa
Great tips for ice cream shoots. How do you not get fat? I love how you have photos of melted ice cream. It reflects the frustrations of shooting ice cream photos in a humorous light. I am sure many of us can relate to how stressful it can be. It’s like your battling each second with the ice cream. And only you are cool enough post photos of melted ice cream (and still make it look cool) while many of us would be too embarrassed to.
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious
I love the little Canon tip! I always take photog advice when it’s around. Yes ice cream, don’t get me started. I have a container in the freezer to be photographed but I have to find the right time when nobody is home, the light is perfect, a cool temp in my bedroom (aka studio) and the scoop will release the ice cream in a smooth easy fashion….I guess I’ll just leave it where it is for now.
Lisa Chow
I love your camera tidbit! I mean…I always love your recipes and photos but I love this new little doohickey too….cause you know, it’s new. Hope it stays!
erin
i’ve never really been a fan of mint choc chip ice cream (i know I’m being blasphemous but hey, it is what it is) but you have given me courage to try profiteroles. wish me luck!
Sophie
So true! Don’t we do weird things now in the name of social media?! It’s weird, but fun. I wouldn’t have otherwise known what profiteroles look like pre-baking – I like it! I love your pictures. I love the real talk.
Kasey @ The Wit of the Staircase
This sounds so awesome. I was literally eating ice cream while reading your post. All that was missing was amazing puffed dough balls and warm chocolate.
But life is always missing that, isn’t it?
Stoich91
Heck to the yes. I was wondering who was going to come through and just rip the clothes off of foodie blog photography, soon. How *can* you take a picture of icecream? Uh, mashed potatoes (ick). ;) Great, beautiful, delicious!
Katie
These look bangin. I totally feel you on trying to out-eat the melting ice cream. But, speaking as someone who can’t deal with food waste of any kind, the things you shove in your mouth to prevent waste could be a LOT worse than delicious ice cream :) Make of that what you will…
tracy {pale yellow}
Profiteroles always remind me of my late grandmother and special treats, Love your recreation here. I’d call it a fantastic day if my biggest problem was my ice creaming melting while I took pictures! Melting ice cream = more to put in my mouth!!
Abby
Ya know I read all of it? I read it all and I was like, “Oh, wow this sounds good — WHAT SHE’S BEING SPONSORED BY CANON.” and then I blacked out from the sheer awesomeness of that.
That’s what happened.
nessa
Totally craving these right now!
allie@sweetpotatobites
I love profiteroles but have only had them with chocolate or cream. Love this mint chocolate ice cream idea!
J.S. @ Sun Diego Eats
Looks awesome! And so much easier than making creme patisserie for the filling…
Nudaperla
I made profiteroles just a week ago, and it’s exactly as you say it is: easier than you would think, and even more delicious :-)
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
Thanks for the tips…I always LOVE your photos!!!
Lindsey [Lou Lou Biscuit]
These look seriously amazing! You make the coolest recipes. I always look forward to seeing what you will come up with next.
Kasha the FarmGirl
I probably shouldn’t admit to this, but I have been known to whip up a batch of pate a choux just to snack on.
With mint chocolate chip they would be undeniably delicious!
Katya
Joy, these look incredible. Can you specify what kind of piping bag/tips you use? I find I am having a hard time perfecting the piping. Thanks.
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
Oh girl, yes please! Look at that melty goodness!
JoAnn C.
i just read over at smitten kitchen that you, deb and some other lucky food bloggers met ina garten. wow! i am crazy envious and i will be picking up a copy of ladies home journal to see all my favorite bloggers. congrats.
dixya| food, pleasure, and health
i have never made profiteroles and still learning how to pronounce it but someday i will conquer it – someday and have a brain freeze
Kathy
Delicious! And great photography tips too!
Katy @ Katy's Kitchen
Oh gosh, I totally feel you on taking pictures of ice cream. It’s high stress time for sure and involves a lot of running to the freezer and warming up your hands. I never would have thought of cooking pastry dough before baking it, this is a really cool recipe!
Carol Anne @ Rock Salt
Oh, Joy. How can I not love someone who so consistently reminds me that things are all OK?
My camera is floury. And maybe a bit buttery. And chocolatey. Also, my lightswitches are sometimes chocolatey. And my fridge door. And…
Sue from Pleasanton
Profiteroles are a smal miracle. That they are easy to make is another miracle! Because they are so delicious, and there are some things that totally overwhelm my willpower, I haven’t made them in years…but ohhhhh myyyy, do your photos call my name!
Question about the chocolate sauce. I’ve never melted sugar for a chocolate sauce. Will it keep in the fridge? And if so, about how long?
Thanks! You are the baker!
Rozalia
I looove profiteroles and I’ve been wanting to make some that are not as traditional as the ones filled with pastry cream. This sure gave me a sweet idea! :) I also love the way you take pictures, they’re all so wonderful.
Jackie- The Seaside Baker
THANK YOU! Photographing ice cream sucks!!! But these, melted or not, look wonderful!
Julian
This looks incredible!!! Thanks for the recipe :)
kazbi
I read your blog for quite some time. You really helped me with my baking, which I’m scared of. Profiteroles… I think I’d leave it for now… still too hard to make for me. :D
Marcie @ FlavortheMoments
I’ve never made profiteroles….or eaten one. Clearly I’m deprived. Mint chocolate chip is one of my favorite flavors, so these are just killing me! This will be the recipe I try!
erin @hooleywithaz
love. makes me want to try shooting on aperture priority more too. if the sun ever comes out here again, that would be the icing on the cake!
Anita
These look yummy! Pâte à choux is so easy and fun to make! Have to try these! Always a pleasure Joy!
Abby
heart this!!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
I have never made profiteroles. Probably because the name is so intimidating.
Tieghan
Thank you! taking photo or ice cream is the worst! It’s so melty, but you reminded me that that is OK!
These look and sound delicious!
Sophie @ The Spotty Teapot
Profiteroles is on my list of things to make this summer, yours look delicious. Although I don’t think I’ll be making my first batch with ice cream, I will definitely work my way up to it :)
I’m so impressed with your willpower to not eat them all straight away ;)
x
Quinn Cooper
These look to die for!
It is a balancing act of warm freshly baked dough, cold ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. I mean there is bound to be melty ice cream.
They look delicious. I would have eaten every single one.
xo Quinn
Quinn Cooper Style
green apple sorbet
Beautiful post Joy! I know *exactly* what you mean about the food-caked camera….. :)
ashley - baker by nature
Girl – you can even make melted ice cream look so DANG good.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
Thanks for the little aperture lesson, joy! I never really know what I’m doing so it’s nice to have guidance once and a while. This recipe looks lovely!
my sweet cloud
It looks amazing!
Really want to try it :)
Belinda @themoonblushbaker
chocolate chip ice cream is always better with pastry. Ice cream is one of those things that I am addicted too (i at least by 3 pints at the store every week) I made some chocolate chip cookie buns which I believe would be even better If I put ice cream in them!. Thanks for the ice cream sandwich inspiration
Kato
I laughed so hard at this, I was thinking exactly the same thing first time I made choux pastry; i looks like it’s going absolutely nowhere and then poooof it’s come together and glossy and beautiful. Love the minty chocolate twist!
Stacy @ Wicked Good Kitchen
Thanks for keeping it real, Joy! I enjoy making profiteroles and finding new ways to fill them. Thanks for the photography tips, too. Just got my new Canon Rebel! xo
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Ive never made Profiteroles and thanks for the recipe and fun camera talk and photography details woven in. Love that kind of stuff!
Natalie Bradshaw
Beautiful! Also, you must have some serious willpower to take those lovely pictures instead of eating them all before they melted!
Ellen
I’ve always had a fondness for profiteroles, but have never had them with anything beyond vanilla ice cream. I am now desperately craving some mint chocolate tastiness.
Joanne T
G’day! Love the combination, TRUE!
Really enjoy your staging of photos too!
Cheers! Joanne