Serves: 8
Total Calories: 651

for the Shells:
1 3/4 cups water
5 ounces butter
9 ounces all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
8 large eggs
for the Filling:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar (to start)
for the Sauce:
9 ounces bitter unsweetened baking chocolate
3 1/2 ounces butter
3 ounces sugar

How to do it:
In 2-quart saucepan, put the water, butter, and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Very slowly (while stirring with a whisk), add the flour and stir until the mixture becomes dough-like and no longer sticks to the sides of the pan. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly. Using a pastry syringe, place ½ inch dough balls, 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. In a 400 degree oven, bake for 15 minutes or until a golden brown. Let them cool to room temperature, them place them in the refrigerator until ready to fill.
For the filling:
Put a medium sized glass or stainless steel bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes to get it nice and cold. Take the bowl from the freezer and put the heavy whipping cream into it. With an electric mixer on high speed, whip the cream until it just starts to thicken. Add the sugar and whip until quite thick. Taste. If the cream is sweet enough, finish whipping. If it isn't sweet enough, add more sugar and finish whipping. Whipped cream should be stiff enough to peak and hold its shape when scooped with a spoon and turned upside down. Get the shells from the "fridge" and get ready to start filling. If you have a pastry syringe with a large cone tip the profiteroles will come out much prettier, but it's not a must. Fill the shells with whipped cream with a syringe or cut them in half with a serrated knife, fill each half and put the halves back together. Put the filled shells back in the fridge while you make the sauce.
For the sauce:
In a double boiler, or a reasonable facsimile, melt the chocolate with a tablespoon of water added to the pan. Add the sugar and butter. If you like a sweeter sauce, add a little more sugar. Be careful not to use too much sugar as the sauce can become grainy. Heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let the sauce cool to room temperature. Get the filled shells from the fridge and start placing them on a 12 or 14 inch round serving plate and building a pyramid with them. Cover the shells with sauce as you go so that all will be uniformly covered. Decorate with more whipped cream if you have it. Serve cold 3 or 4 to each person.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 8
Total Calories: 651
Calories from Fat: 413

More Recipes from the Cook'n Italian Cookbook:
Ambrosia Toss Fruit Salad
Apple Strudel
Blackberry Torte
Cannoli Fillings
Cannoli Fillings-The Quick Way
Cannolli Pastry Shells
Chocolate Biscotti
Chocolate Covered Puffs
Grandma's Christmas Nut Roll
Italian Apple Fritters
Italian Cream Cake
Panna Cotta
Ricotta Cookies