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Cocoa Cream Puffs with Pistachio Ice Cream and Cardamom Caramel Sauce

Author: Zoë François

Ingredients

Chocolate Pâte à Choux:

  • 1 cup / 135g bread flour* (see note about other flour)
  • 1/2 cup / 40g cocoa powder**
  • 1/2 cup / 125g whole milk
  • 1/2 cup / 125g water
  • 1/2 cup / 112g unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 5 to 6 eggs

Pistachio Ice Cream (see newsletter for recipe link or use store bought)

Cardamom Caramel Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups / 360g heavy whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 cups / 300g granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup 120g / water
  • 1 Tbsp corn syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom***
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Assembly

  • 4 ounces chocolate melted
  • 1/4 cup shelled and toasted pistachios coarsely chopped

Instructions

Pâte a Choux

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or Non-Stick Silicone.
  • Sift together the flour and cocoa to get rid of lumps.
  • In a wide-bottom, short-sided pot**** bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to a rapid simmer.
  • Dump the flour mixture in all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon over low heat. The dough will come together as a ball and the bottom of your pot will have a skim of dough stuck to it. This will take 3 to 5 minutes of constant stirring.
  • Dump dough into the bowl of stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment. Mix the dough on low speed for 30 seconds to release some steam.
    Pro Tip: I love the beater blade paddles with the rubber sides, so you don't have to scrape down the bowl. If you don't have one, then scrape down the bowl after each egg.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, until it comes together in a smooth paste. Scrape the bowl, all the way to the bottom, after each addition.
    Pro Tip: The dough is ready when it falls off the paddle like lava. It will be thick enough to hold its shape when piped, but thin enough to pipe easily. If the dough needs more egg, but not quite a full one, whisk the egg and add it 1 Tbsp at a time until you achieve the right consistency.
  • Fit a piping bag with a large round tip (about 1/2")***** and pipe the dough into 1 1/4" balls, leaving 3 inches between them, since they will puff in the oven. If there are points sticking up just wet your finger and smooth them out.
  • Place the sheets into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until they are puffy and the dough is dull in color. If baking two trays at once, quickly rotate the trays from top to bottom and back to front. They may deflate a bit, but don't worry, they will puff again as they continue to bake. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
    Pro Tip: Remove one baked puff and open it to make sure it is thoroughly baked. If it is still wet inside, continue to bake for 5 more minutes and open another puff to test. If the puffs seem to be baking too quickly on the outside but are wet on the inside, prop the door open with a wooden spoon and continue to bake for about 5 more minutes.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before filling. They can be made ahead and frozen for up to a couple of weeks in a zip-top bag.

Caramel Sauce

  • Heat heavy cream in a microwave or small pot on the stove. Set aside.
    Pro Tip: heating the cream before whisking into the caramel will prevent the caramel from seizing.
  • In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup, being careful not to get grains of sugar on the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat without stirring.
  • Allow the mixture to boil until the sugar starts to turn amber along the edge. You can now stir without fear of crystallizing. Whisk in the cardamom and salt.
  • When the caramel is a deep amber throughout and just starting to smoke, turn off the heat and allow to sit in the pan until it is a dark amber, stirring occasionally.
  • Whisk in the heated cream in a slow steady stream.
    Pro Tip: If the caramel does seize when you add the cream, just cook over low heat until the seized caramel melts, this can take several minutes.

Assemble the Profiteroles

  • Slice the cooled chocolate puffs in half. Line up the bottom halves on a baking sheet. Reserve the tops.
  • Scoop the ice cream and fill the bottom of the puffs. Freeze until firm.
  • Dip the tops of the puffs in chocolate and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios. Set on a wire rack until chocolate sets. Place them on top of the ice cream stuffed puffs.
  • Storing: This can be done hours or even days before serving. if you store them for more than a few hours, be sure to cover them well.

To Serve

  • Place the puffs on a plate, warm the caramel sauce and pour over the top of the profiteroles just before serving. Or, do it like my husband and pluck a puff from the freezer and eat it like an ice cream sandwich.

Notes

*you can use a high protein all-purpose flour, such as King Arthur or anything above 11.5%. Using a lower protein flour will still work, but may require using less eggs and you may not get as much spring in your puffs. 
**I used a Dutch-processed cocoa, which results in a very dark puff. If you use a "natural" cocoa your puffs may be lighter in color. 
***play with the spice in the caramel sauce or just use sea salt. If you use the pistachio ice cream, cinnamon or saffron are flavors that go well. 
****If you use a smaller pot with high sides, it will take longer for the liquid to evaporate, so the dough may need additional cooking time. 
*****if you use a smaller or larger piping tip, your puffs will require more or less time in the oven, so be sure to check on them accordingly.