Profiteroles

1. FOR THE PASTRY: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray baking sheet with vegetable oil spray and line with parchment paper.
2. Fit pastry bag with 1⁄2-inch plain tip and fill with warm pâte à choux. Pipe pâte à choux into 1-1⁄2-inch mounds on prepared sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart (you should have about 24 mounds). Use back of teaspoon dipped in cold water to even out shape and smooth surface of mounds.
3. Bake pastries for 15 minutes (do not open oven door), then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until golden brown and fairly firm (pastries should not be soft and squishy), 8 to 10 minutes longer.
4. Remove baking sheet from oven and cut 3⁄4-inch slit into side of each pastry with paring knife to release steam. Return pastries to oven, turn off oven, and prop oven door open with handle of wooden spoon. Dry pastries in turned-off oven until center is just moist (not wet) and surface is crisp, about 45 minutes. Transfer pastries to wire rack to cool. (Cooled pastries can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours or frozen in zipper-lock bag for up to 1 month. Re-crisp room-temperature puffs in 300-degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or frozen puffs for 8 to 10 minutes.)
5. FOR THE FILLING AND GLAZE: Line clean baking sheet with parchment and freeze until cold, about 20 minutes. Place 2-inch scoops of ice cream onto chilled baking sheet and freeze until firm, then cover with plastic wrap; keep frozen until ready to serve.
6. Bring heavy cream, corn syrup, butter, and salt to boil in small saucepan. Off heat, stir in chocolate. Cover saucepan and let stand until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk gently until combined. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)
7. To serve, use paring knife to split open 18 pastries about 3⁄8 inch from bottom; set 3 bottoms on each dessert plate. Place scoop of ice cream on each bottom and gently press tops into ice cream. Pour sauce over profiteroles and serve immediately.

A serving of profiteroles consists of three baked puffs filled with ice cream and topped with sauce. The Pâte à Choux recipe makes 24 puffs, technically enough to serve eight, but inevitably a few bake up too awkwardly shaped to serve to guests. For profiteroles, the smooth, dense texture and rich flavor of a high-quality custard-style ice cream is preferable to the light, fluffy texture and milky flavor of Philadelphia-style ice cream, which is made without eggs. If you’re serving several guests, prescooping the ice cream makes serving quick and neat, but if you’re assembling only a couple servings or your freezer lacks space, you can skip the prescooping step.

PIPING PROFITEROLES
1. Pipe paste into 1-1⁄2-inch mounds on prepared baking sheet.
2. Use back of teaspoon dipped in water to even out shape and smooth surface of mounds.