• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for baking sheets
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash
• 2 to 3 pints vanilla ice cream, for serving
• Hot Fudge Sauce (recipe below)
  
• Hot Fudge Sauce
  
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken or cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Make the dough: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. with racks in upper and lower thirds. Butter two large rimmed baking sheets.
2. Combine butter, 1 cup water, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until butter melts. Reduce heat to medium.
3. Add flour; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball, 30 seconds to 1 minute (see note below). Remove from heat; cool 1 minute.
4. With an electric handheld mixer, beat in eggs, a little bit at a time, until completely incorporated (dough should look shiny and be soft enough to slowly fall off a spoon).
5. Bake the puffs: Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto baking sheets (you should have 24 to 28), about 2 inches apart. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush puffs with egg wash (do not let it drip on sheets).
6. Bake, rotating sheets between racks halfway through, until puffed and brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; turn oven off.
7. With a toothpick, poke a hole in each puff. Return to oven (still off) for 10 minutes (this helps puffs dry out).
8. Fill the puffs: When cool, halve each puff horizontally with a serrated knife.
9. Working in batches (to prevent ice cream from melting), place a small scoop of ice cream (2 to 3 tablespoons) in each bottom half. Replace tops; press gently. Arrange on one rimmed baking sheet; freeze until firm. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze up to 2 days.
10. Arrange 3 filled puffs in each of eight shallow bowls; drizzle with warm Fudge Sauce. Serve immediately.

Hot Fudge Sauce

1. In a small saucepan, combine corn syrup and chocolate. Stir over medium-low heat until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk in heavy cream until smooth. Serve right away, or let cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. To serve, warm over low heat or in microwave.)