Review: Orange Blossom Water with Baking Mad

If you haven't heard of Baking Mad before, then I can honestly say that is one of the most inspiring websites for baking and cooking ideas and inspiration, they even have the lovely Cake Boy AKA Eric Lanlard on board offering his recipes of the week amongst other features... what more could a baking lady need to convince her?! Hehe

I recently got the offer of a trial bottle of Nielsen Massey Orange Blossom Water which sounded really intriguing to me as its not a flavouring I have personally come across before and I fancied a little bit of a baking challenge, so I agreed to receive a bottle and I started planning and plotting some recipe ideas right away. The Great British Bake Off had well and truly inspired me to bake away and try making up my own recipe for a change, instead of stealing somebody elses hehe.

I settled on Mini Choux Buns filled with An Orange Blossom Cream, topped with a gorgeous dark Chocolate Ganache which just made this dessert perfect in every way. Sometimes you just crave something bitter and sweet and this was just the ticket.
Think Terry's Dark Chocolate Orange.... In profiteroles!

The flavouring smells lovely straight from the bottle, after a quick sniff as soon as it arrived with the lovely postman (Apprently it can be spritzed from an atomiser should you desire), and although it smells fairly strong, it doesn't actually taste too strong, and it did need a fair few splashes to get the taste in the cream filling. It is quite an unassuming flavour and the Chocolate Ganache may have darkened this a little, but it doesn't matter. Noted for the next time.

The Recipe *

• 100g butter 
• 125g plain flour, sifted
• 4 eggs (free range if possible)

• 250ml double cream
• 1 - 2 tsp orange blossom essence (to your taste) 
• 2 tbsp caster sugar

(Optional Ganache Topping) 

• 100g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
• 3 - 4 tbsp double cream

Preheat the oven to 200*C


Place the butter into a pan with 300ml/½pt water and heat gently until the butter has melted


Add the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture looks like roughly mashed potato


Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well to combine each egg before adding the next, until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy


Spoon equal portions of the mixture (about one tablespoonful) onto baking trays lined with slightly damp baking parchment (or silicone sheet placed on a baking tray if you have one) and place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until golden-brown and puffed up


Remove from oven, make an incision into the side of each profiterole to allow the steam to escape, then return to the oven for 1-2 minutes to let the profiteroles dry out and then place onto a wire rack to cool


For the filling, whip together the cream and orange blossom water until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed, then gently fold in the caster sugar. When the profiteroles are completely cold, pipe the cream into each profiterole with a piping bag and medium pointed nozzle, through the incision, and arrange on a serving dish or pretty plate


If you go for the Chocolate Ganache, place the chocolate & cream into a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Do not allow the bowl to touch the water. When the chocolate has melted, stir the sauce and pour gently all over the pile of profiteroles on the dish/plate and serve immediately

Miss Sue Flay x

* Recipe adapted from my most favourite Nigella Lawson Profiterole Recipe found here.