Tomorrow, June 13, is the Feast of St. Ludovicus Rex Bavariae (aka Ludwig II, 1845-1886 e.v.). According to the Invisible Basilica, “Ludwig was the last of the German feudal princes: a romantic dreamer who viewed himself as a divinely sanctioned monarch after the model of his hero, Louis XIV, the ‘Sun King’ of France. He was a great patron of the arts, especially of painting, music, sculpture, literature and architecture. He is now most well known for the three lavish palaces he built: Schloss Linderhof near Oberammergau, which boasts a ‘Grotto of Venus’ complete with concrete stalactites and an indoor lake with a boat shaped like a cockleshell; Schloss Herrenchiemsee, a miniature replica of Versailles on an island in the Chiemsee; and Schloss Neuschwanstein, a fairy-tale castle with soaring turrets built atop a mountain crag near Füssen, on the Austrian border.”
In honor of the Swan King, we bring you this ornamental dessert.
Chocolate Cream Puff Swans
Cream Puff Dough
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
Ganache:
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 4 ounces heavy whipping cream
Cream:
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar, or as needed
