Profiteroles with Fresh Berries

Instructions

1. To prepare the pastry, bring the water and butter to a boil. Add the flour and salt all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat and continue to stir until the mixture is a smooth paste and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly for approximately two minutes. Add the eggs one at a time to the mixture, stirring well to incorporate. The mixture should be smooth and stiff. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the mixture in a piping bag with a medium-sized tip. Pipe 18 small balls of mixture, about 1 inch in diameter, onto a butter baking tray. Leave at least 2 inches of space in between each ball for expansion during baking. Place the tray in the oven at 400°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The profiteroles should be golden brown, dry and firm to the touch Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack.
3. To prepare the pastry cream, bring the milk and vanilla bean just to the boiling point. Meanwhile, mix the sugar, flour, and egg yolks together to form a smooth paste. Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and slowly mix the milk into the paste mixture. Return to the stove over a double boiler; do no boil. Scrap the sees from the vanilla bean and add to the mixture. Continue cooking until it has thickened enough to heavily coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and continue to stir until cooled to room temperature.
4. Combine all caramel ingredients in a heavy saucepan, preferably copper. Bring the mixture to a simmer slowly over a moderate heat. Stir the mixture occasionally, but only until it is about to boil. Do not stir after this point or the mixture may crystallize. Use a pastry brush dipped in fresh water to wipe any sugar crystals from the inner sides of the pan while the sugar is cooking. The caramel should be removed from the heat when it has reached 320°F to 350°F. The sugar will continue to darken slightly upon standing. The sugar can be cooked longer if a darker caramel is preferred.
5. Working quickly, dip the tops of the profiteroles into the caramel and place caramel side up on a tray; allow to set. The caramel can be kept soft by warming in and out of the oven or over a water bath.
6. Cut the profiteroles in half using a serrated knife, creating a base and a top hat of caramel. Fill the profiteroles generously with the pastry cream using a spoon or a piping bag. Combine the berries, liqueur and sugar together to marinate slightly. Arrange three profiteroles on a plate and garnish generously with the mixed berries and mint leaves.