Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz butter
• 125g/4oz plain flour
• sifted
• 4 free-range eggs
• 250ml/9fl oz double cream
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 100g/3½oz dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
• 3 tbsp double cream

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 7.
• Place the butter into a pan with 300ml/½pt water and heat gently until the butter has melted.
• Add the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture looks like roughly mashed potato.
• Add the eggs
• one at a time
• stirring well to combine each egg before adding the next
• until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
• Spoon equal portions of the mixture (about one tablespoonful) onto baking trays lined with slightly damp baking parchment and place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes
• or until golden-brown and puffed up.
• Remove from the oven and make an incision into the side of each profiterole to allow the steam to escape
• then return to the oven for 1-2 minutes to let the profiteroles dry out. Place onto a wire rack to cool.
• For the filling
• whip together the cream and vanilla essence until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
• then gently fold in the caster sugar.
• When the profiteroles are completely cold
• pipe the cream into each profiterole
• through the incision
• and arrange on a serving dish.
• For the chocolate sauce
• place the chocolate and the cream into a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Do not allow the bowl to touch the water. When the chocolate has melted
• stir the sauce and pour all over the pile of profiteroles on the dish and serve immediately.