Swan Lake Recipes

SWAN PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Pate a Choux: Place an 11-by-17-inch piece of parchment lengthwise on work surface. Using a pencil and ruler, draw sets of parallel lines to make a grid that will be the guide for piping out the swans: Starting 3/4 inch up from the bottom edge, draw a line across the paper. Draw a second parallel line, 2 1/2 inches above the first. Draw a third parallel line, 1 inch above the second line, and a fourth line 2 1/2 inches above the third. Draw another line 1 inch above the fourth line, and a sixth line 2 1/2 inches above that. This should leave a 3/4-inch border at the top. Place parchment, pencil-side down on an 11-by-17-inch unrimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat butter, granulated sugar, salt, and 1 cup water over medium; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides of pan and a film forms on bottom, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until slightly cooled, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated and a soft peak forms when you touch dough with your finger.
• Fit a large 18-inch pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip (such as Ateco #806). Fill with a generous three-quarters of the dough. Fit a small pastry bag with an 1/8-inch round tip (such as Ateco #11). Fill with remaining dough. Using the large pastry bag, squeeze out 18 large teardrops of dough onto prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart and staying between the lines. Form the heads: On a separate parchment-lined unrimmed baking sheet, using the small pastry bag, squeeze out 18 small S shapes, like question marks but with the second end slightly curved as well. Make a pointed beak by pulling up the tip at the edge of the head.
• Brush beaten egg over swan bodies and heads. Bake bodies 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and add heads. Continue baking until golden and airy, about 25 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Assembly: Gently slice off top of bodies with a sharp serrated knife. Cut tops in half. Working quickly, fill each body with a small scoop of ice cream. Place both pieces of the top back on ice cream to simulate wings; place a head into the ice cream at the point where the two wings meet. Transfer swans to a baking sheet and freeze until ready to serve.
• Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream over medium; pour over chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes; stir until smooth. Let cool at room temperature until ready to use. Spoon a pool of chocolate sauce on each plate and top with a swan. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.

SWAN LAKE

Steps:

• To make the granite, combine water and Chartreuse and pour onto a jellyroll pan. Place in freezer until frozen, about 45 minutes.
• To make the profiteroles, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place water, butter, salt and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in flour. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture dries out and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Place in a bowl for an electric mixer. With mixer running, add eggs 1 at a time. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix until smooth. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough in a pastry bag, using a No. 0 tip. Make the swan's neck and head by piping out an arc about 2 inches long. Make a small oval at one end for the head and a 1/4-inch tail coming off of the point where the head joins the neck. Make 7 more of these, spacing them 2 inches apart.
• Transfer dough to a second bag, using a No. 4B tip. To make the swan's body, pipe out a teardrop shape, beginning with the rounded part and gradually using less pressure so the dough tapers to a point. The teardrop should be about 2 1/4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches at the widest part. Pipe out 7 more of these. Bake on baking sheet until light brown. Watch carefully and remove the necks from the baking sheet as soon as they are done, about 5 minutes; the bodies will take a few more minutes. Set aside to cool.
• To make the pastry cream, place the milk and the vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch and egg. Whisk the milk vigorously into the egg mixture. Place the mixture in the saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and cooks for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk in Chartreuse until mixture is very smooth. In separate bowl whip cream until stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/2 of the whipped cream into the cooked mixture. Fold in the remaining cream. Chill until cold. Dessert can be made several hours ahead up to this point.
• Using a serrated knife, cut the swans' bodies in half horizontally. Cut each top in half lengthwise. Place the pastry cream in a pastry bag, using a No. 4B tip. Pipe it into the bottom half of each swan so that it mounds over the top. Place a neck down into the cream at the rounded edge of each body. Perch the halved tops on each side of the swan's body to look like wings. Remove the granite from the freezer. Use a spoon to scrape up the mixture into an icy slush. Spoon some of the granite onto the center of each of 4 plates. Place 2 swans on each plate, on top of the granite. Garnish the pastry cream at the back of each swan with a few of the orange slices. Lightly sprinkle with sugar. Serve immediately.