Swan Lake

Preparation

1. Step 1

   To make the granite, combine water and Chartreuse and pour onto a jellyroll pan. Place in freezer until frozen, about 45 minutes.

2. Step 2

   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 ¼-inch tail coming off of the point where the head joins the neck. Make 7 more of these, spacing them 2 inches apart.

3. Step 3

   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 2¼ inches long and 1½ 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.

4. Step 4

   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 ½ 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.

5. Step 5

   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.