We surprised Walker with a trip to Disney World this past week. Corby and I have been planning this since before Christmas, and I was looking more forward to his reaction than to the trip. We had it all planned out- we would pick him up from school and tell him we were taking him down to a plantation (he is doing a year long project on plantations), and then we would surprise him when we got somewhere in Georgia. Of course, last Tuesday night, Walker woke up with 104 fever and did not go to school on Wednesday but to the doctor who pronounced that Walker had strep throat. Fortunately, his fever was gone and we got him on antibiotics immediately, so we were still able to leave on Wednesday afternoon. We still told him that we were going to a plantation, and finally somewhere south of Savannah, Walker asked when we were going to get there- here is the video of his reaction- so fun- click here to watch disney video!! Thursday morning we went to the Animal Kingdom where Corby and Walker rode the Yeti Mt. Everest ride 3 or 4 times. I sat and waited as I don’t do roller coasters. We went back to the hotel for some lunch and pool time and then headed over to Epcot for some more roller coasters for Walker and Corby and more waiting for me. Then we went to Les Chefs (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/les-chefs-de-france/) for dinner in France at Epcot. I don’t actually remember what I had for dinner because I was so excited to order Profiteroles for dessert. I had read Les Chefs was known for their Profiteroles, and I was beyond happy when they arrived as they were so delicious. I have found a recipe on www.joyofbaking.com that looks very good, and when I get more than 5 minutes of free time, I can’t wait to try to make them! The rest of the trip was fabulous- lots more roller coasters and waiting. Walker’s reaction and the profiteroles were definitely my favorite parts!
Choux Pastry Ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
2 large eggs lightly beaten
Egg Wash Glaze:
1 large egg
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions for Choux Pastry:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Lina a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, sift together flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside. Place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and with a wooden spoon or spatula, quickly add the flour mixture. Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about a minute of two). Transfer the dough to your electric mixer or hand mixer and beat on a low speed a minute or two to release the steam from the dough. Once the dough is lukewarm, start adding the lightly beaten eggs and continue to mix until you have a smooth sticky paste. Spoon or pipe 12 mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them a couple of inches apart. Beat together the egg and salt for the glaze. With a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the dough. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for another 30-40 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are dry inside. Turn the oven off and with the door slightly ajar let the shells dry out for a further 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wore rack.
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate cut into small pieces
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Chocolate Ganache Directions:
immediately. (The ganache can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.)
