Profiteroles with white and dark chocolate dipping sauce

Pudding for two

Hey ho it's a "baking" recipe - at last! Honestly, does anyone ACTUALLY remember the last time I blogged about one of my famous baking adventures? I certainly don't. Normally I'd make one of my old favorites (e.g. my fudgy (pure) chocolate brownies) because I am a total sucker for comfort food. But since I was making it as a dessert to share with my male half, I decided that it had to be something special. And who better to consult than the UK's "Queen of Cakes" herself? That's right, you guessed it - I'm talking about Mary Berry.

Her book entitled Mary Berry's Desserts to be more precise!

The blog title says it all - I obviously went for the profiteroles/ cream puff recipe (Berry, 2008: 195). Choux pastry has seriously never been easier to make. With simple instructions that are easy to understand, who'd thought that combining butter, flour and eggs together can come to create such sweet and delectable delicacies? And don't forget patience; these little French pastries require time, effort and the correct technique in order to make. The most enjoyable part in my opinion comes after all the hard-work (i.e. mixing, stirring and, of course, baking -- 30 minutes at 200°C to be exact), and no it's not eating them that I'm talking about (although that's nevertheless enjoyable). I personally like the part where I pipe oodles of homemade vanilla whipped cream into them.

Forget retail therapy, THIS is the sort of relaxer you need (i.e. baking).

The melting pot

Homemade White and Dark Chocolate sauce

If you've read my other foodie posts, you'll know by heart that I like to add a touch of creativity to every recipe I follow. It's simply a way of me being slightly rebellious but all for a good cause of course. So what exactly is your little twist this time? Simple: chocolate dipping sauce (aka. large-bars-of-pure-chocolate-melted-in-a bowl-on-top-of-a-boiling-hot-pot). And not just any old shop bought chocolate dipping sauce. This one, or rather, "ours" had white and dark chocolate in it. Colorful and delicious - why bother covering profiteroles with chocolate and then placing them in the fridge before consumption when it's SO much better (and more fun!) to dip them in yourself? Plus you avoid the (perhaps) occasional complaints from guests who argue that their cream puffs have less chocolate than the others - definitely a double bonus. 

A professional-looking dessert that takes minutes to make and will definitely impress and satisfy (the stomachs of) your guests (particularly if they're romantically attached to you). 

P.S. Don't forget to lick the spoon - that's (kinda of) the most important part ;)

x

Bibliography

Berry, M. (2008) Mary Berry's Desserts. London: Dorling Kindersley.