I love profiteroles. I think they were the first "super fancy French pastry" I tried as a child that I really loved.
This weekend I went berry picking with my daughter and we picked over $7 worth of blueberries and almost $14 worth of blackberries. I made the mistake of bringing big boxes with us to fill and we spent hours hunting down the biggest and juiciest berries to fill the boxes. We wanted to pick nectarines as well, but had to run back home to get ready for a baby shower later that afternoon. Peaches are in season next week and I cannot wait to go back.
Oh and the farm we went to also makes these incredible apple cider doughnuts that melt in your mouth. Would it be too forward to ask for their recipe?
I've been spending the weekend using up all the berries so they wouldn't go to waste and I made this big pot of jam/coulis. I separate the bits of fruit to spread on toast and reserve the coulis (sauce) to use in recipes and cocktails. Freshly picked berries are packed with so much more fresh flavor than what you can get in the store, so the results are out of this world. Seriously, once you gt a taste of fruit or vegetable that you pick yourself, you just can't go back. You really can't. Hence why I've been trying since 2011 to start my own garden. Speaking of which, my heirloom tomatoes are finally growing fruit and my rhubarb has three new stalks growing in! I think one of my mystery plants may be rosemary and the other might be eggplant.
Profiteroles are so amazing because you can do much to customize the flavors, decadence and occasion. I made these profiteroles with a boozy ice cream filling to create a sophisticated adult treat that is both refreshing and decadent. The bourbon is added at the end, so the alcohol content is still there - I don't recommend sharing the ice cream with your kids!
More on the ice cream: I used a honey-flavored bourbon and I seriously recommend it. If you can't find any, mix in a tablespoon of honey to the bourbon before adding it in. Trust me on this! I used the same vanilla ice cream base as the Peach Crumble Ice Cream recipe, but added another tablespoon of cream cheese for added creaminess. So good!
In the end you have a light, airy pastry with a dollop of creamy bourbon ice cream sandwiched in the middle and topped with a fresh, almost illegal addictive berry coulis (add a bit of the fruit for more texture). And if you don't have berries or want something a little more simple, you can top the profiteroles with some powdered sugar. That's okay too. 🙂
Don't have an ice cream maker? No problem! Learn how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker here.
Profiteroles with Bourbon Ice Cream and Berry Coulis
Ingredients
For the Ice Cream
For the choux pastry
For the Berry Coulis
Instructions
For the Ice Cream
For the choux pastry
For the Berry Coulis
Assembly
Katie @ Butterlust says
While I love living in Texas, I fantasize about living somewhere that I could pick fresh fruit -- jealous!! These profiteroles are absolutely stunning!
Brandy @ MommySplurge says
I actually came here just to look at your pictures. I am having a bad day and I knew they would make me smile. They did!!!!
Amanda says
Yay, I'm glad they made you feel a little better! I'll eat one tonight in your honor.
dina says
they look amazing!
Ala says
Ohhhh, berry picking! You wonderful, lovely family with lovely desserts on the table. I think you should definitely ask for that apple cider donuts recipe, that sounds impeccable. Cheers to your gorgeous photos!