CHOUX BUNS WITH COFFEE AND DRAMBUIE MOUSSE

CHOUX BUNS WITH COFFEE AND DRAMBUIE MOUSSE image

Yield 46 buns

Number Of Ingredients 28

Ingredients

Crème Pâtissière
6 egg yolks
1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved
Preparation
Combine the egg yolks and 1/3 of the sugar in a bowl and whisk to a light ribbon consistency, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add flour & whisk in thoroughly.
In a pan, heat the milk w/ the rest of the sugar, vanilla bean and seeds. As soon as it comes to a boil, pour onto egg yolk mixture a few tablespoons to start, then all of it, stirring as you go. Mix well, then return the mixture to the pan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with the whisk. Allow mixture to bubble, still stirring, for 2 minutes, then tip it into a bowl.
To prevent a skin forming, cover tightly w/ plastic wrap on the surface of the crème. Chill in an ice-water bath, then refrigerate overnight. Can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove the vanilla bean before using.
Choux Buns
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, cut up
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk)
Coffee Mousse and Assembly
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 recipe crème pâtissière, chilled
4 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons Drambuie or to taste
Powdered sugar
Unsweetened cocoa
46 choux buns

Steps:

Choux Buns 1. Combine milk, butter, salt & sugar in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Bring to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the flour all at once w/ a wooden spoon until smooth. 2. Return pan to medium heat about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to dry out the paste. Tip it into a bowl. 3. Add the eggs 1 by 1, beating w/ the wooden spoon until each egg is fully beaten in. Once they are all incorporated into the mixture, it should be smooth and shiny, & thick enough to pipe. The choux paste is now ready to use. (If you are not using it immediately, brush the surface with egg wash to prevent a crust forming.) 4. Pipe small mounds , about 2 teaspoons each, onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in staggered rows, using a pastry bag fitted with a half-inch round tip. 5. Brush the buns with egg wash. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until dry and crisp, but soft inside. Cool on a wire rack. Coffee Mousse and Assembly 1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Whip the cream in a chilled bowl with the sugar to stiff peaks and fold into the chilled crème pâtissière. Dissolve the coffee in the Drambuie and fold into the mixture. 2. Make a small opening in the side of each bun with the tip of a knife or skewer. Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain eighth-inch tip, pipe a generous amount of coffee mousse into each bun. 3. To serve, dust half the filled buns with a little powdered sugar and the rest with cocoa. Arrange on individual plates or a platter. Each of 46 buns: 74 calories; 2 grams protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 4 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 59 mg. cholesterol; 40 mg. sodium.