Mint Julep Profiteroles Makes 24 tartlets from May/June 2009 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water, divided 1 cup unsalted butter, diced 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 /2 teaspoon salt 9 eggs, divided 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds 1 recipe Mint Ice Cream (recipe follows) 1 recipe Chocolate-Bourbon Sauce (recipe follows) •Preheat oven to 400°. •In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cups water, butter, and seeds from scraped vanilla bean, and bring to a boil. Add the flour and salt, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Cool for 4 minutes. •Add 8 eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds after each addition. Stir until smooth. •On an ungreased baking sheet, spoon or pipe 1-tablespoon mounds of dough, spacing 3 inches apart. •In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and remaining 1 tablespoon water. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat each mound of dough with egg wash, and sprinkle each evenly with the brown sugar and almonds. •Bake until golden and puffed, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. •Cut off the top section of each puff, and reserve. Pull out and discard soft interior dough. •Scoop softened Mint Ice Cream into a piping bag, and pipe ice cream into hollow puffs. Replace tops. •Drizzle with Chocolate-Bourbon Sauce. Serve remaining sauce on the side. •Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.Serve immediately. Note: Unfilled profiterole shells will keep for 2 to 3 days refrigerated in an airtight container. www.teatimemagazine.com Mint Ice Cream Makes approximately 2 quarts from May/June 2009 4 cups half-and-half 1 cup sugar 1 /2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved 3 sprigs fresh mint 12 egg yolks •In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the half-and-half, sugar, seeds from scraped vanilla bean, and mint. Heat until mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat. •In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Using a ladle, pour 1 cup of the hot half-and-half mixture in a slow, steady stream into the beaten yolks, whisking constantly. Slowly add another cup of half-and-half mixture, whisking constantly. •Transfer the yolk mixture back to saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, or until mixture reaches 180° on an instant-read thermometer. •Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a stainlesssteel bowl set in an ice bath. Stir until the custard is very cold. •Freeze the custard in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Chocolate–Bourbon Sauce Makes 2 cups from May/June 2009 /4 cup heavy cream 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 /4 cup bourbon 3 •In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat cream until steam rises from the surface. One ingredient at a time, add the chocolate, butter, and bourbon, stirring thoroughly after each addition. Use immediately, or set aside and gently rewarm before serving. www.teatimemagazine.com