Profiteroles with Caramel Sauce

It's criminal, I know. An entire semester has gone by without a post. In my defense, this was a tough semester educationally, emotionally, and socially. BUT I never stopped baking whenever I was given the opportunity!

One of my favorite classes this semester was People and Cultures of Latin America. We had an evening get together at the professor's house one night, potluck style with all sorts of traditional Latin American foods. I was in charge of the dessert, so I ended up bringing profiteroles with caramel sauce and Mexican tea cookies.

The pictures above don't show the profiteroles (a kind of cream puff popular at weddings in South and Central America) with the caramel sauce, because I made it fresh when I got to the professor's house. That was an experience in itself, cooking with everyone watching me... I got some serious nerves. But these went over really well! They take a lot of time to make, and are technically challenging, but I think they're worth it...

Profiteroles with Caramel Sauce

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

For puffs

• 1 c. water
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
• 1 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 eggs

For filling

• 1 tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
• 2 c. whole milk
• 2/3 c. whipping cream
• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 egg yolks
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• pinch of salt

For caramel sauce

• 1 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. water
• 2/3 c. whipping cream
• 1/4 c. butter, cut into cubes

To Make:

1. Boil water and butter for puffs in sauce pan. Reduce heat to low, and add the flour and salt. Stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a ball.
2. Transfer to large bowl, and using a mixer, beat in eggs one at a time. Cover and let stand, 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, and butter two baking sheets. Put coupler (with no tip) into a pastry bag, and spoon dough in. Pipe 1 inch rounds onto the baking sheets, and smooth the tops. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Take out of oven and turn off oven. Using a knife, pierce the sides of each puff and put back into oven for 10 minutes with the door ajar.
4. Place the water for filling into a bowl, and sprinkle in gelatin. Simmer in a saucepan milk, cream, and vanilla bean (cut in half with the seeds scraped into the pan).
5. In a large bowl, mix egg yolks, sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture, then return to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until thick.
6. Stir in gelatin mixture. Transfer to bowl, and cover with plastic wrap pressed to the mixture. Chill.
7. Spoon mixture into pastry bag with a 1/4 inch tip, and pipe into completely cool puffs.
8. Stir sugar and water for sauce in a saucepan until dissolved, over medium heat. Turn up heat and boil, without stirring until deep amber in color. Take off heat, and stir in cream then butter. Drizzle over puffs.

Some Notes:

• In the future, I will definitely replace steps 4-6 with the much easier and less gelatin-y cream from my favorite banana cream pie recipe.