Profiteroles with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce

YOU WILL NEED:

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 bananas, slightly under-ripe, cut in half lengthwise
8 small scoops EDY‘S or EDY‘S GRAND Vanilla Ice Cream
1/3 cup high quality pure apricot preserves
3 tablespoons spiced rum
4 tablespoons toasted almond slices (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

PREHEAT oven to 400° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

FOR PATE A CHOUX:

PLACE water, butter, sugar and salt in a large heavy-duty saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until gently boiling and butter is melted. Add flour all at once; continue to stir until flour is incorporated and dough comes together and pulls away from the side of the pan. Remove from heat; scrape dough into bowl of stand mixer or large mixing bowl.

BEAT dough on medium speed for about 1 minute to help it cool down. Add the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the side of the bowl periodically. Beat until dough is smooth, thick and glossy.

SPOON dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Push the dough to the bottom of the bag using your hands or a bench scraper. Twist the top of the bag to seal.

PIPE dough into golf-ball size mounds on prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Keep mounds as high and round as possible. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff.

BAKE for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350Â° F; bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown and fairly firm. Do not open the oven door while they are baking. Remove from oven; cool completely on baking sheets before filling.

FOR CHOCOLATE SAUCE:

HEAT cream in small saucepan over medium heat until just boiling. Add chocolate, butter and vanilla extract. Remove from heat; stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth.

TO ASSEMBLE PROFITEROLES:

SLICE pastry puffs in half crosswise using a serrated knife. Fill each puff with a scoop of ice cream. Replace the tops and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.