Melt the butter and let it cool down a bit — no rush!

In a small bowl, mix together the flour and brown sugar.

Once the butter has cooled, pour it over the dry ingredients and stir everything together using a fork or a small spatula until it’s fully combined and nice and smooth.

Next, place the dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll it out as thin as you can using a rolling pin.

Pop it onto a flat tray and slide it into the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes so it can firm up nicely.

Start by placing the water, butter, and sugar in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Let everything warm up until the butter and sugar have completely melted.

Take the pot off the heat and add all the flour in one go. Grab a wooden spoon or a sturdy spatula and stir the mixture until it starts to come together into a dough.

Now, pop the pot back on the stove over low heat. Keep stirring for a couple of minutes to dry out the dough as much as possible — you’ll know it’s ready when you see a thin film forming on the bottom of the pan (see note 1).

Scoop the dough into a large clean bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer if you're using one) and let it cool for about 10 to 15 minutes — you want it to be at room temperature or at least not steaming hot.

In the meantime, beat your eggs together in a separate bowl. Once the dough has cooled, start adding the eggs bit by bit. Mix really well between each addition to make sure they’re fully blended before adding more (a stand mixer definitely helps here!). You’re aiming for a smooth, shiny pastry that’s not too runny and not too stiff (see note 2).

Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F and lightly grease the bottom of a baking tray. Wipe away any excess grease with a paper towel.

Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle. Pipe small mounds onto your tray, leaving space between each one — they’re going to puff up in the oven!

Optional but fun: Take your chilled craquelin out of the fridge. Use a small cookie cutter (about the same size as your choux) to cut out little rounds of craquelin and gently place one on top of each mound.

Pop the tray in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the choux are puffed up and golden. Open the oven door briefly to let the steam escape, then close it again and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. This extra time helps keep them from collapsing once they cool down.

Once baked, transfer your choux to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before filling or serving.

Finely chop the dark cooking chocolate and pop it into a heatproof bowl.

In a small pot, heat the milk until it just starts to boil — then take it off the heat right away and pour it over the chopped chocolate.

Let it sit for about 30 seconds (this helps soften the chocolate), then start stirring with a spatula. Keep stirring until the chocolate is fully melted and the sauce turns shiny and smooth like glossy magic (see note 3).

When you're ready to serve, slice each choux bun in half like a little sandwich.

Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom half, then gently pop the top back on.

If your chocolate sauce has thickened, warm it up just a bit so it’s nice and pourable. Then drizzle that glorious warm chocolate sauce over your profiteroles.

Serve them right away and enjoy every bite!