Profiteroles with Chocolate-Macadamia Semifreddo

As we've established: I don't make desserts. Lucky for me (and this blog) - I have friends that do! This is a recipe whose origins aren't exactly known (it was either a Martha Stewart or Sunset recipe of the month back in 1994....) - but my good friends Lori and Carolyn have been perfecting it ever since. Carolyn made the perfectly pleasing profiteroles a couple days ago to serve at a party in honor of yet another friend, Sharyn. It was such a hit, I knew I had to con her out of the recipe and post it here. Good luck to those of you eager to make it yourself - it's truly scrumptious, and not too sweet (an excellent criteria for dessert in my book!).

Profiteroles with Chocolate-Macadamia Semifreddo
Contributed by Carolyn Hindes, by way of Lori Morgan

Profiteroles
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white, if needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Bring butter, sugar, salt and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; stir in flour. Return to medium-high heat; stir with a wooden spoon until the batter pulls away from the sides of pan, about 4 minutes.

Transfer batter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes. With mixer on medium speed, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Test batter for doneness by dabbing it with your finger; as you pull away, a sticky thread should form. If not, add the egg white one teaspoon at a time.

Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip and fill with batter. Pipe 1 1/2-inch diameter rounds 2 inches apart onlined sheet. Gently smooth peaked tops with a moistened fingertip. bake until golden brown, 28-30 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. To assemble, halve the profiteroles horizontally nd fill with a tiny scoop of semifreddo (recipe to follow) and top with melted chocolate sauce (any chocolate sauce will work - find a good fancy one in a jar at your local gourmet market).

Chocolate-Macadamia Semifreddo

• 2/3 cup salted macadamia nuts
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast nuts on a baking sheet until pale olden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Pulse the nuts and chocolate in a food processor until coursely ground, Add 1/2 cup sugar; pulse until combined, about 7 times (do not overprocess; mixture should not form a paste). Set aside.

Beat cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Meanwhile, beat egg whites in the clean bowl of electric mixer with whisk attachment until soft peaks form.

Fold egg whites into whipped cream; gently fold in nut/chocolate mixture. Spoon into a glass abking dish; smooth with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap on surface and freeze at least 4 hours.