You have to try this amazing profiteroles recipe with basil lemongrass ice cream and mulberry jam! It is absolutely to die for!
Profiteroles are a quick an easy dessert to fancy up some ice cream especially if you have homemade ice cream laying around. I made a variety of sorbets and ice creams when I first landed in Malibu this summer and believe it or not it doesn't always get eaten unless I serve it in a formal dinner.
One of the reasons why is because the freezer doesn't get opened that often except maybe getting some ice or patron. I think this was a night we had some guests coming over but it was very informal and I really didn't feel like making a labor intensive dessert. Profiteroles are essentially a cream puff or formally a pate a choux dough baked and filled with some sort of ice cream.
Cream puffs are the same pate a choux dough filled with pastry cream, also one of my favorites. I made this awesome basil-lemongrass ice cream using the basil from our garden and was looking for a way to use it. I was trying to think of some coconut type dessert I could make to compliment this ice cream but I settled on making profiteroles and topping it off with the mulberry jam .
The combination of the basil, the jam, and the soft baked pate a choux is really one of the best ice cream sandwiches (profiteroles) I have had, which in the end really wasn't settling. Here is the profiteroles recipes I hope you really enjoy it.
Profiteroles, Basil-Lemongrass Ice Cream, Mulberry Jam
Pate a Choux Dough(cream puff dough)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup milk ((or water))
- 1 stick butter
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
Basil-Lemongrass Ice Cream
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 stick vanilla bean ( split in half)
- 1/2 cup sweet basil leaves
- 1/2 cup lemon basil leaves
- 2 small stalks of lemongrass
Mulberry Jam
For the Basil Lemongrass Ice Cream
-
Place the egg yolks in a stand mixer and turn on medium speed. Slowly pour in your sugar. Whip for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Meanwhile for the ice cream base start by release the aromas of the lemongrass by taking the back of your knife and cracking the stalks of the lemongrass.
Then place them in the pot along with all the milk, cream, and vanilla bean (you might have to cut the lemongrass stalks in half if they are really long). Bring the mixture slowly to a boil and turn off. With a ladle, temper your eggs by ladling a little of the milk mixture (trying not to get the lemongrass if possible) into the eggs, until you have about half of your milk mixture mixed in the eggs.
Then take the mixing bowl with the egg mixture and pour back into the pot of milk lemongrass mixture using a spatula to scrape the sides. Turn the heat back on low and stir for about 5 minutes and then turn off. You can let the mixture cool to room temperature if you have the time, (to steep the lemongrass more) or strain off into a bowl inside a ice bath to cool down fast.
Once the mixture is cool you can take your mixture to the blender (vitamix) and puree with all the basil leaves until really smooth and green. Place the mixture back in the ice bath or in the refrigerator until completely cold. Then place in your ice cream make until done. Then place in a container and place in the freezer.
Preheat Oven 400 degrees
For the Profiteroles
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, In a small pot add milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer. As soon as the butter has completely melted stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and turn down the heat to low. Incorporate all the flour thoroughly and cook for about 1 minute.
Transfer the dough to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Turn on medium speed for a minute and then turn down to low speed. Crack the four eggs into a measuring cup and add them to the dough one at a time. Make sure the egg completely incorporates before adding the next egg. Continue until all the eggs have been added. Then take the dough and place in a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip.
On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper pipe small rounds of the dough. If the tops of the rounds have a tip from piping take your finger with a little water on it and push it down lightly. If you don't have a piping bag just use two spoons or ice cream scoop. Once the sheet pan is full of the cream puffs, place them in the oven and immediately turn down to 350 degrees bake for about 30-35 minutes until light brown. Then turn down the oven to 325 and bake for another 15 minutes. Take out and let them cool completely.
To Finish,
To put together simply cut the profiteroles in half and place a small scoop of the basil ice cream in the middle. Top with a spoonful of mulberry jam and enjoy!
