Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C)

Make the Pâte à Choux Dough

1. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with a sheet of parchment or a silicone baking mat
2. In a small to medium-sized saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt.
3. Measure the flour and have it nearby. Heat the liquid ingredients over medium heat, stirring as needed, until they come to a full boil and the butter is melted. Turn off the heat.
4. Add the flour all at once. Stir with a wooden or heatproof spoon until a ball of dough forms. Turn the heat back on to medium and stir continuously for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until a slight film covers the bottom of the pan. This dries out the dough a little and also cooks off any flour flavor.
5. Transfer the dough from the saucepan to a clean large bowl (if making this by hand) or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for several minutes on low speed until the dough is no longer steaming. Get those muscles out if you’re stirring this by hand using a spoon!You can do it!
6. Next, mix in 3 eggs, one at a time, on low-medium speed, fully incorporating each before adding the next. The dough will look separated and then come together as you continue to mix it.
7. Check the dough after you’ve added 3 eggs. To test, take a spoon, scoop up a large amount of dough, turn the spoon to the side and wait for the dough to fall. When it is the right texture, it will fall in a defined point known as a bec d’oiseau (bird’s beak) and look silky smooth.
8. The amount of eggs you need to get to this point depends on your flour and the humidity in your kitchen on any given day. If the dough is just about there, add just a little beaten egg at a time and test, until you have that nice point. If it still seems very thick, it might need another full egg or two before you reach the right texture.
9. Pipe 12 to 15 mounds of dough 1½ to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) in diameter, using a pastry bag fitted with a 10- to 12-mm round piping tip. Pat down any tips or bumps with fingers dipped in water. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size.
10. Resist the urge to open the oven to peek while they are baking. Instead, wait until the puffs are dark brown or have baked for at least 30 minutes
11. The choux are done when they feel light and hollow! Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Make the Chocolate Sauce

1. Place the chocolate in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Heat the cream until it starts simmering and then pour it, all in one go, over the chocolate. Wiggle the bowl to fully cover the chocolate pieces with the cream. Let sit for a couple minutes for the chocolate to start to melt.
3. Then, whisk in the center—first gently, then briskly once it thickens, to bring it all together and form an emulsion.
4. If you have a couple of chocolate pieces that haven’t melted, gently warm in a microwave or place the bowl (be sure it is heatproof) on top of a saucepan of steaming water to make a double boiler.
5. Set aside until ready to serve.

Assemble

1. Cut the cooled choux in half horizontally with a serrated knife and fill with a scoop of ice cream. Pat the top back on. Freeze until ready to eat or serve immediately with the warm chocolate sauce.

Make Ahead

1. Make and freeze the choux puffs in advance as a party timesaver—you can even freeze them with the ice cream scooped inside!