Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter (cut into small pieces)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs, plus 1 egg for glazing
several flavors ice cream or sorbet, different colors; you can buy mini containers in the store if you do not want to have pints of each flavor sitting in the freezer tempting you
Preheat oven to 475°F. Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, bring the milk, ½ cup water, butter and salt to a boil over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, mix in the flour. Place the saucepan back over low heat and cook for one minute more, stirring constantly to dry out the dough. Remove from heat. Place the dough into a bowl and add 5 of the eggs, one at a time, and mix well with a wooden spoon. You will need to mix vigorously to incorporate the eggs into the dough.
With a pastry bag and a ½-inch round tip, pipe out balls of dough, about 2 inches in diameter onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving an inch between each one. The easiest way is to hold the pastry bag tip down, hold the bag still and squeeze until you have the size you want and then lift up the tip.
Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush the top of each circle with the egg and smooth out the little tip on the top. Place the baking sheets in the oven and immediately turn off the oven. After 15 minutes, turn the oven on again to 350°F. Bake pastries another 30 to 40 minutes. They are done when the cracks on the top are the same color as the rest of the pastry. Remove to a rack and let cool.
Cut the puffs in half and remove the top. Scoop up one scoop of ice cream, place the top over the ice cream. Smooth the sides with a flat knife if desired. Eat immediately or freeze until ready to serve. If you keep them frozen, let thaw for a few minutes befiore eating.
Can be served with chocolate or caramel sauce.