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Created by Chef Remy
Golden choux puffs, crisp as autumn leaves and hollow as promises, split open and filled with bourbon-kissed vanilla ice cream, then crowned with a river of warm bittersweet chocolate that pools on the plate like an invitation.
Choux pastry intimidates home cooks, and I understand why. The technique asks you to trust a process that looks like disaster right up until the moment it becomes magic. You cook flour in butter and water until it pulls from the pan, then beat in eggs one at a time until you have something that looks like nothing and becomes everything in a hot oven.
My grandmother Evangeline never made profiteroles. She made beignets. But the principle is the same: you are asking dough to puff up with steam and hold its shape through sheer stubbornness. The French may have invented choux, but Louisiana cooks understand steam and fat and the alchemy of heat better than most.
What makes these profiteroles Southern is the bourbon. Not enough to knock you sideways, just enough to add that caramel warmth that good Kentucky bourbon brings to vanilla. At Lagniappe, we serve these at the end of a big meal when folks think they cannot eat another bite. They always find room. The cold ice cream against the warm chocolate, the crisp pastry giving way to cream: this is the kind of dessert that makes people close their eyes and smile.
The technique here is honest. I will tell you exactly what to look for at each stage so you know you are on the right path. Trust the process, and trust your eyes. When those puffs come out of the oven golden and proud, you will feel like you conquered something.
Quantity
1 cup (240ml)
Quantity
1/2 cup (1 stick/113g)
cut into pieces
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1 cup (125g)
Quantity
4
at room temperature
Quantity
1 quart
slightly softened
Quantity
3 tablespoons
Quantity
8 ounces
finely chopped
Quantity
1 cup (240ml)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 pinch
Quantity
for dusting
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| water | 1 cup (240ml) |
| unsalted butter (for choux)cut into pieces | 1/2 cup (1 stick/113g) |
| granulated sugar | 1 tablespoon |
| fine sea salt (for choux) | 1/2 teaspoon |
| all-purpose flour | 1 cup (125g) |
| large eggsat room temperature | 4 |
| premium vanilla ice creamslightly softened | 1 quart |
| good bourbon | 3 tablespoons |
| bittersweet chocolatefinely chopped | 8 ounces |
| heavy cream | 1 cup (240ml) |
| unsalted butter (for sauce) | 2 tablespoons |
| light corn syrup or cane syrup | 1 tablespoon |
| vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| fine sea salt (for sauce) | 1 pinch |
| powdered sugar (optional) | for dusting |
Position your oven rack in the center and preheat to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Measure all your ingredients before you start because once you begin cooking choux, you cannot stop to hunt for the flour. This is not a forgiving process. Have your eggs cracked into a bowl and lightly beaten together.
Combine water, butter pieces, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally as the butter melts. Watch carefully: the moment the mixture reaches a full rolling boil with the butter completely melted, you must act. If you boil too long, water evaporates and your ratios fail.
Remove the pan from heat and dump in all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together into a rough ball. Return the pan to medium heat and continue stirring constantly for one to two minutes. You are cooking out the raw flour taste and drying the paste. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan. The dough will pull away from the sides and hold together in a smooth mass.
Transfer the hot paste to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or to a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Beat on medium speed for two minutes to release steam and cool the mixture. You should be able to touch the bowl without burning yourself. If you add eggs to paste that is too hot, you will cook them and create scrambled egg pastry, which is not what we are after.
With the mixer running on medium speed, add the beaten eggs in a slow, steady stream. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides. The mixture will look broken and slippery at first. Keep beating. It will come together into a smooth, glossy paste that falls from the paddle in a thick ribbon. When you lift some paste and let it fall, it should form a V-shape that holds for a few seconds before slowly settling.
Transfer the paste to a piping bag fitted with a half-inch round tip, or use a sturdy zip-top bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe mounds about one and a half inches wide onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving two inches between each. They will double in size. Dip your finger in water and gently press down any peaks on top so they do not burn.
Place the pans in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 375°F. Bake for 25 minutes without opening the oven door. Opening the door lets out steam and your puffs will collapse in despair. After 25 minutes, quickly pierce each puff with a sharp knife to release steam, then continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes more until deep golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
Transfer puffs to a wire rack and let them cool completely, at least thirty minutes. They must be entirely cool before you fill them or the ice cream will melt into a puddle and you will have soup instead of dessert. You can make these a day ahead and store them uncovered at room temperature. Recrisp in a 350°F oven for five minutes if needed.
Scoop your slightly softened vanilla ice cream into a bowl and fold in the bourbon with a spatula until evenly distributed. Work quickly so it does not melt too much. Return to the freezer for at least an hour to firm up. The bourbon adds warmth without making the ice cream boozy. It is a whisper, not a shout.
Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer and the butter melts. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for one minute to melt, then whisk from the center outward until smooth and glossy. Stir in vanilla. Keep warm over barely simmering water or in a very low oven.
Slice each puff in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place the bottoms on dessert plates, three per person for a generous portion. Add a scoop of bourbon vanilla ice cream to each bottom half, then cap with the top. Drizzle warm chocolate sauce generously over the top, letting it run down the sides and pool on the plate. Dust with powdered sugar if you like pretty things. Serve immediately. This is not a dessert that waits.
1 serving (about 205g)
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