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FEATURE RECIPE
Choux puffs with chocolate and Armagnac ice-cream
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Serves
15
Cooking Time
Prep time 30 mins, cook 1 hr 50 mins (plus chilling, freezing)
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100 gm
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butter, coarsely chopped
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150 gm
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(1 cup) plain flour
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4
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eggs
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| Chocolate and Armagnac ice-cream |
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200 gm
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dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
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50 ml
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Armagnac
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500 ml
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(2 cups) milk
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120 gm
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caster sugar
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1
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vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
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1 tbsp
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Dutch-process cocoa
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7
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egg yolks
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400 gm
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crème fraîche
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| Armagnac prune compote |
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125 ml
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Armagnac
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100 gm
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caster sugar
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300 gm
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Agen prunes (see note)
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| Crème somptueuse |
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100 gm
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dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
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200 gm
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double cream
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1
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For chocolate and Armagnac ice-cream, combine chocolate and Armagnac in a heatproof bowl placed over simmering water, stir occasionally until smooth (5-7 minutes), set aside. Combine milk, sugar, vanilla and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to just below the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar (3-5 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks until pale (3-5 minutes). Pour milk mixture over egg yolks, stirring to combine, then return to pan and stir continuously over low heat until mixture coats the back of a spoon thickly (8-10 minutes). Pour mixture over chocolate, stir to combine, place bowl over ice and stand until chilled. Whisk crème fraîche to soft peaks, fold through chocolate mixture and freeze in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Makes about 2 litres.
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2
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For Armagnac prune compote, combine ingredients in a saucepan, cook over low heat until syrupy (30 minutes). Set aside to cool.
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3
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Preheat oven to 180C. Bring butter and 250ml water to boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add flour, beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Remove from heat, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Transfer mixture to a piping bag with a 2cm plain nozzle, pipe fifteen 3½cm-diameter rounds onto baking-paper-lined oven trays. Bake until golden (15 minutes), remove from oven, pierce bases with a knife, return to oven until dry (45 minutes-1 hour). Cool on wire rack.
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4
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Meanwhile, for crème somptueuse, stir ingredients in a heatproof bowl placed over simmering water until smooth (3-5 minutes).
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5
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To serve, halve pastries horizontally, place two prunes in each base, add a small scoop of ice-cream, sandwich with pastry tops. Serve with crème somptueuse drizzled over.
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Note Agen prunes, from Agen in France, are available from select delicatessens. If unavailable, substitute other pitted prunes.
RECIPE Lisa Featherby
PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem
STYLING Claire Delmar and Lisa Featherby
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