My first dessert of 2006!

My mother-in-law is a third-generation Polish American. She always makes cream puffs for holidays gatherings. They are filled with a light and fluffy filling and sprinkled with powdered sugar. I never tried to make them. But I saw Giada prepare this recipe on "Everyday Italian" on the Food Network. It sucked me in and I had to try them. These are definitely different from my mom-in-laws cream puffs where the filling is concerned but the pastry is very similar. But oh, the chocolate. I never tried Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread, before this recipe but it is very, very good, especially after it is mixed with whipping cream. After mixing the filling, we both tried it and were kinda skeptical as to whether this would be a good dessert. But Ron mixed a little of the Nutella mixture with a little of the cheese filling and we knew it would be a keeper recipe. Heaven! We changed a couple of things about the recipe. For one, the baking time is too long. I thought mine were done after only 30 minutes, but they still needed a little longer for the inside to complete baking. Also, since we liked the cheese mixed directly with the chocolate, we decided to put chocolate on the inside of the puffs on top of the cheese as well as on top of the outside. Have your nuts ready as they will stick to the hot chocolate, but will not stick after the chocolate cools on the pastry. We also topped some with powdered sugar to give it that look of my mom-in-laws. Ron, who does NOT have a sweet tooth, thought these were very good and were perfect for his non sweet-tooth. I thought they were great, too! One puff is very filling, but doesn't leave you with that stuffed feeling. The difficulty level is rated as medium but I really didn't think it was that hard. Once you add the flour to the dough mixture it forms a ball really fast and the dough is sticky to work with, otherwise, that part was easy. I mixed the cheeses by hand but will use my mixer next time. The chocolate topping is just melting it in the microwave, and then pouring it on the pastries. Except for the flour there was no urgency to this recipe. These little puffs look very elegant and like you paid a fortune for them. Your guests will never know they're homemade if you don't tell them. But I for one tell them. I want my guests to know they are eating something most excellent and feel special because I took the time to create a wonderful dessert. If you're like I was and afraid to try them, I recommend you go out on a limb and make them. I really don't think you'll regret your decision. Profiteroles with Ricotta Mascarpone Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis at Food Network Episode#: EI1B04 - Copyright 2003 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved Recipe Summary: Difficulty: Medium (I thought it was pretty easy) Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Yield: 4 servings (about 10 "puffs") Ingredients: Pastry Dough: 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar Pinch of salt 1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 large eggs Egg Wash: 1 large egg Cheese Filling: 1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese 3/4 cup ricotta cheese 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons sugar **(I also added 1/2 teaspoon almond extract) Chocolate Topping: 1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella) 1/4 cup whipping cream 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, chopped Powdered sugar, optional Instructions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a heavy large baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Combine the water, butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the butter melts. Add the flour and stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Cool 5 minutes. Crack 2 eggs into a measuring cup. Use a wooden spoon to beat the eggs into the dough, 1 at a time. Spoon 10 or 12 (1 1/2-inch) mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl to blend. Gently brush the egg over the dough mounds (do not drip the egg onto the baking sheet). Bake the pastries until they are amber brown, about 50 minutes (Mine were done after 40 minutes). Allow the pastries to cool completely. While pastries are baking, mix the mascarpone, ricotta, vanilla extract, almond extract, and remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until cold. Using a serrated knife, cut the tops off the pastry and set aside. Spoon the mascarpone mixture into the pastries and top with its lid. (I added the chocolate mixture to the inside because it tastes so good with the cheese mixture). Combine the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds until warm. Stir the mixture. Spoon the chocolate-hazelnut sauce atop the pastries. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and serve. Print-Friendly Recipe: Profiteroles with Ricotta Mascarpone Dessert Menu One for 2006: Profiteroles with Ricotta Mascarpone 1 new recipe today 24 new recipes for 2006 Blog | Food | Food Blog | Food Blogs | Baking | Chocolate | Dessert | Dough | Pastry | Nutella | Hazelnuts | Hazelnut | Mascarpone | Ricotta | Profiteroles |