Saffron Cardamom Orange and Almond Profiteroles

This recipe came about off the back of an Indian spiced rice pudding recipe I recently had. Obviously rice pudding and profiteroles are very very different bakes – almost polar opposites, however it was the flavour combo I was influenced by in which I incorporated into my usual profiteroles. Cardamom, orange, almond, saffron and honey are the feature flavours in this bake, in which work complimentary.

I also wanted to make my filling low in fat and super quick therefore instead of the traditional whipped cream, ice-cream or pastry cream filling I have created a skim milk honey-based custard.

Traditionally the pastries are dipped into melted chocolate, however in this instance I have make an icing for a bit of a twist and extra orange hit.

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup water
• 40g butter
• ¼ tsn salt
• 2 egg

Custard:

• 8 tbsp corn flour
• 200ml milk
• 4 tbsp honey
• ½ tsn ground cardamom
• 1 tsn almond essence
• 2 tsn orange zest
• 10 saffron threads

Icing:

• 160g icing sugar
• 2 tsn vanilla essence
• ½ tsn orange essence

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c fan forced.
2. Bring the water and butter to the boil in a saucepan on the stove to a medium heat. Once at a boil add the flour and salt stirring with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes or until the mix comes away from the side of the pan.
3. Take off the heat, wait 5 minutes and beat the eggs in one at a time. The mix will now resemble dough.
4. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
5. Using a piping bag with a large tip pipe 10 puffs in the size of golf balls leaving, 5 cm apart on the 2 trays.
6. Place the 2 trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Decrease the oven temperature down to 180c fan forced and bake for a further 10 minutes until the pastry is golden and all puffed up.
8. Turn off the oven. With a knife cut a slit I the top of each puff and leave them in the oven to dry out for 10 minutes. Following, place on a cooling rack to cool.
9. To prepare the custard place all ingredients in saucepan on the stove. Whisk well.
10. Heat on medium, whisking until the mix is super thick and glossy. Leave to cool. The custard should be thick enough to almost hold its shape.
11. With another piping bag and a medium star tip fill the profiterole with the cooled custard.
12. Pipe the custard into each puff.
13. Whisk the icing ingredients until thick and glossy.
14. Drizzle the icing over the top of the puffs and top with extra orange zest and chopped almonds if desired.

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