Consider yourself lucky shroomgirl!
I have won two awards for these puffs...
1 1/2 Cups Water
1/2 cup NO PULP Orange Juice
1 Cup Butter
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Cups Pastry Flour
8 Large Eggs
Pre-heat oven to 400.......In a medium/large saucepan combine Liquid, butter, and salt....Bring to a boil, then remove from from heat.... preferably with a wooden spoon, beat in all flour at once.... return to low heat....continue beating untill the mixture forms shape, like a ball, and pull from side of the pan.....remove again from heat.....beat in eggs one at a time, beating hard after every addition untill smooth...continue beating untill the dough is like satin and breaks in strands....if you want large puffs, drop heaping TB onto an ungreased baking sheet, spread them about 2 inches apart...for little puffs, the dough should be about the size of a large walnut.....bake until golden brown, about 40-45 for large, and 25-30 for the little guys...when the puffs are done, when u tap them, they should sound hollow.... you can either cut the tops off and fill, or do what I do, and use a pastry bag with a semi-small tip...
Nowwww for the cream filling...
3 2/3 cups of milk
1/3 cup of Grand Marnier
1cup or a little more, of sugar
pinch of salt
4 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup flour
12 large egg yolks....yolks only...
1 tsp cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg, not much tho...
In a separate saucepan, bring the milk and grande marnier to a boil with half of the sugar....whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl, with the salt, and other half of the sugar.... sift flour over egg mixture, and whisk untill smooth.... When the milk boils, SLOWLY whisk 1/3 of it to the egg mixture.... after it is incorporated, ad the egg mixture back into the the saucepan with the rest of the milk.... Follow these steps carefully to make sure that you tempur the eggs, you dont want to end up with scrambled eggs, that would not be good, especially if you are in a pinch...return to medium heat, and bring to boil again, gradually, whisking continually.... the mixture should begin to thicken....allow it to boil for another minute....remove from the heat... and the vanilla and cinnamon... transfer the pastry cream to a bowl... press plastic wrap against the surface of the cream.... refrigerate until VERY cold, at LEAST 2 hours...
This is my own person recipe and means alot to me. I serve it 2 weekends a month at my restaurant, so I really hope you enjoy it!
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