Cream puffs

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 100 g butter
• 180 g flour, sifted
• 6 eggs
• 250 g sugar
• 375 ml milk
• 1 vanilla pod(s)
• 3 egg yolks
• 560 g sugar, fine
• 2 tbsp flour
• 60 ml Grand Marnier
• 375 ml cream
• 375 ml water
• Water for drizzling

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 210°C (gas mark 3-4). Bring the butter and 375ml water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and quickly fold in the flour. Return to the heat and continue beating until the batter comes together and pulls away from the sides. Allow to cool slightly. Whisk the mixture to help it cool more quickly. Gradually stir in the beaten eggs (about 3 teaspoons each) and the sugar into the batter until thick and glossy (if the batter is too runny, the eggs were added too quickly; stir again for a few minutes). Drizzle 3 baking sheets with water and line with baking paper. You will need about 8 large profiteroles. Place 1 heaped tablespoon of batter onto each sheet, leaving plenty of room between them to rise! Drop the remaining batter into small dollops using a teaspoon. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes (until the profiteroles are golden brown). Allow to cool in the oven with the door turned off and bake in two batches if desired. For the filling, gently heat the milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan until the milk is almost boiling. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and flour until light and thick, then slowly stir in the warm milk. Remove from the heat and stir in the Grand Marnier. Remove the vanilla pod, cover with cling film, and allow to cool completely. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and fold into the custard. Using a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle, fill the base of each profiterole with the cream. Dissolve 500g of sugar in 250ml of water over low heat, stirring continuously without allowing to boil. Then cook until golden brown. Remove from the heat and submerge the base of the pan in cold water. To serve, dip the bottoms of the large profiterole dishes in the caramel, or brush with it. Then arrange them side by side on a serving platter or large plate in a large circle, then build a cone with smaller and smaller profiteroles. Finally, melt the remaining sugar and dip two forks into the mixture. Rub the backs of the forks together until the sugar is sticky. Then carefully pull them apart and spin them around the cone.