Mascarpone Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce

Small-batch choux shells baked in a mini madeleine pan, filled with a sturdy mascarpone vanilla cream, and served with warm chocolate sauce. Make the shells, cream, and sauce ahead; fill right before serving so the shells stay crisp.

Servings: 2 (4 profiteroles, plus backup shells) Time: ~1 hr 30 min for components, assembled after dinner Oven: 400°F, then 350°F

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Ingredients

Madeleine Choux Shells (makes ~6-8 mini shells)

• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ teaspoon sugar
• Small pinch salt
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• Butter or baking spray, for greasing the pan

Mascarpone Vanilla Cream

• ⅓ cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons mascarpone, cold but slightly softened
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Tiny pinch salt

Chocolate Sauce

• 2 oz dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1½ teaspoons unsalted butter
• Tiny pinch salt

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Method

Make the Choux Shells

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease the mini madeleine pan very thoroughly, getting butter or baking spray into the ridges. If using butter, dust lightly with flour and tap out the excess so the shells release cleanly.

In a small saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a full simmer, with the butter completely melted and the liquid bubbling at the edges.

Add the ¼ cup flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula. The mixture will look pasty, then come together into a dough ball that pulls away from the sides.

Lower the heat slightly if needed and keep cooking and stirring for 1 minute to dry the dough. A thin film may form on the pan — that is normal, and it helps the shells puff.

Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool 5 minutes, stirring once or twice to release steam. It should be warm, not hot, before the egg goes in.

Beat the egg with a fork, then add it gradually to the dough, mixing well after each addition. It may look slippery or broken at first — keep mixing and it will come back together. Stop when the dough is smooth, glossy, thick, and slowly falls from the spoon.

Spoon the dough into each madeleine cavity, filling each only ⅓ to ½ full. Press gently into the ridges with a damp fingertip or small spoon and smooth the top. Do not overfill; choux expands a lot.

Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Do not open the oven door.

Without opening the oven, reduce heat to 350°F and bake another 10-15 minutes, until puffed and deeply golden (darker than pale blond, or they can collapse).

Remove and let the shells sit in the pan 3-5 minutes, then gently remove them. Poke a tiny hole in the side or underside of each shell to release steam.

Optional crisping: return the shells to the turned-off oven with the door cracked for 10 minutes, then set aside at room temperature. Do not refrigerate empty shells.

Make the Mascarpone Cream

Use cold heavy cream. If you have time, chill the bowl and beaters in the freezer for 5 minutes.

In the bowl, smooth the mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt on low speed until creamy and lump-free.

Add about 1 tablespoon of the cold cream to the mascarpone and mix until smooth and loosened. Add the rest of the cream, whip on low for 20-30 seconds so it does not splash, then increase to medium.

Whip until it holds medium-stiff peaks — a peak that mostly stands with a slight bend at the tip. This small batch overwhips fast, so check often. If it looks grainy or curdled, it is overwhipped; fold in 1-2 teaspoons cold cream by hand to smooth it.

Cover and refrigerate. Do not fill the shells yet.

Make the Chocolate Sauce

Put the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl.

Heat the ¼ cup heavy cream until steaming but not boiling (saucepan or microwave in short bursts).

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1 minute. Stir slowly from the center outward until smooth and glossy, then stir in the butter and a tiny pinch of salt.

Set aside at room temperature. If it thickens too much later, rewarm gently and add a tiny splash of cream or milk.

Assemble (after dinner)

Rewarm the chocolate sauce gently, in short 5-10 second microwave bursts or over very low heat.

Give the mascarpone cream a gentle stir. Do not re-whip unless it has loosened a lot.

Split 4 choux shells almost all the way through with a small serrated knife so they open like little clam shells.

Spoon or pipe mascarpone cream into each shell, using enough that it shows slightly between the halves.

Serve 2 profiteroles per person, with warm chocolate sauce spooned over the top or onto the plate underneath.