For the cream puffs:

1 cup water

8 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

5 eggs

1 pint coffee ice cream (or your favorite flavor)

For the chocolate sauce:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate (high quality), chopped into small pieces

1/4 cup heavy cream

To make the cream puffs, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two sheet pans with lightly greased parchment or wax paper. Set aside.

Combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, then remove from the heat. Add the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and appears almost dry.

Using electric beaters, add the 5 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough should be thick and shiny. Using a pastry bag with a 3/4-inch round tube opening (or a spoon), squeeze or mound the dough onto the baking sheets in circles approximately 2 inches wide and 1 inch high. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and continue baking for 30 more minutes, or until the puffs are golden and the centers are dry when pierced with a sharp knife. (If the centers are still damp after cooking for 45 minutes, remove the puffs from the oven. Cut off the top third of each puff and scoop out the damp center with a small spoon.)

To make the chocolate sauce, combine the chocolate and cream in a double boiler. When the chocolate has melted, whisk to blend.

To serve, slice off the top third of each cream puff. Fill the bottom shell with a scoop of ice cream. Dip the outside of each pastry cap in chocolate sauce and place over the ice cream. Spoon some chocolate sauce onto each dessert plate and place two profiteroles on the sauce.

Makes about 16 profiteroles.