Choux Pastry Puffs with Ice Cream

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, unsalted butter, and salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat, ensuring the butter is fully melted.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Return to low heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to dry out the dough slightly.

Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, glossy, and falls slowly from the spoon in a thick ribbon.

Spoon or pipe the choux pastry onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 5 cm between each puff. You should get about 12-15 puffs.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 200°C until the puffs are golden brown and well-risen. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and bake for another 5-10 minutes to dry them out. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar, and let the puffs cool completely inside for about 15 minutes to prevent them from collapsing.

While the choux puffs cool, prepare the chocolate sauce. Gently heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just simmers. Remove from heat, add the chopped dark chocolate, and let it sit for 2 minutes before stirring until smooth and glossy.

Once cooled, slice the choux pastry puffs horizontally. Fill each puff generously with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Arrange on a serving platter and drizzle with the warm chocolate sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy, mes amis!