The Grand Budapest: Mendl’s Courtesan Au Chocolat

The Grand Budapest: Mendl’s Courtesan Au Chocolate

yield: approx. 680g choux dough    prep time: 2 1/2 hours    total time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

Choux:

• 4 oz water
• 4 oz milk
• 150g butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 150g bread flour, sifted
• 5-6 eggs

Creme Patisserie

• 1 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder

Garnish

• powdered sugar, sifted
• milk
• melted white chocolate
• coffee beans

Choux:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a medium pot, heat your milk, water, and butter to a simmer.  Add your sifted flour and salt.  Turn your heat down to medium and stir.  You will want to cook the dough for about 10 minutes or until a thick fond develops on the bottom of the pot and the dough is shiny and smooth.
3. Transfer the dough to a stand mixer and with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until the dough is cool enough to add eggs.
4. Add your eggs one at a time.  Stop adding eggs when your dough creates a perfect and smooth V when pulled up with the paddle.  Transfer the dough to a pipping bag with a large round tip.
5. Pipe the choux onto a parchment or silpat lined sheetpan.  You will want a large, medium, and salt size profiterole to build the courtesan au chocolat.  If there are any peaks on the pipped dough, dip your finger in water and smooth it out.  The water will prevent the dough from pulling and sticking to your finger.
6. Bake the profiteroles in the oven at 400F for 10 minutes.  Drop the temperature down to 350F and continue to bake for approximately another 20 minutes or until golden brown on all sides.  Let cool before filling.

Creme Patisserie:

1. In a medium pot, heat your milk on medium – low heat just until it is about to simmer.  Add the chocolate and stir to combine.
2. In a bowl, whisk together your egg yolks, flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder until smooth.  Once the milk and chocolate is combined, temper the yolks by adding some of the hot milk to the yolks.  Whisk immediately.  Pour the yolk mixture back into the pot and heat on medium heat.  Whisk continuously to prevent any lumps.  Let the mixture cook for 2 minutes.
3. When cooked, transfer the cream to a new bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let cool before filling.

Filling:

1. Cut small slits on the bottom of the large and medium profiteroles to allow for the filling to be pipped in.  Bag your cream in a pipping bag fitted with a small tip.  Fill the large and medium puffs.  The small pastry is left empty.

Glaze and Garnish:

1. In three separate bowls, make a glaze with powdered sugar and enough milk to create a fluid but not too thin glaze.  Whisk together.  Tint the three glazes with food safe coloring.  The small puffs will be light pink.  Medium puffs will be pale green and large puffs will be lavender.
2. Dip each pastry accordingly and let dry on a cooling rack.  Meanwhile, melt white chocolate and fill it in a pipping bag.  Decorate each pastry with filigree of white chocolate.  Let dry slightly before stacking.
3. Glue the medium and small pastries with more of the white chocolate.  At the top of the small pastry, pipe enough white chocolate to garnish with a coffee bean.