In a small saucepan, melt together milk, butter, and salt and bring up to a scald, stir constantly over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until a solid mass of dough is formed. Remove from heat.

Add warm dough ball to a food processor or a mixer. While the mixer or processor is running at medium low speed add the four whole eggs one by one until a glossy, smooth dough forms.

Transfer dough to a piping bag outfitted with a large holed tip, or simply to a large plastic storage bag with a small corner cut out. Pipe dough into 1 1/2" balls onto a baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat leaving at least two inches between dough balls. With wet fingers, smooth the tops of the dough.

Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 18-20 minutes, until uniformly golden, rotating sheets halfway through baking. After baking, remove from oven and allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, remove the puffs from the tray and poke a hole in the bottom of each with a skewer or a straw. Continue to cool on a clean dry dish towel. If not using immediately, profiteroles can be stored on in an airtight container on the counter for a day OR in the freezer for up to six months.

In a medium sized bowl, wisk together egg yolks, whole egg, cornstarch and the sugar or honey. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, simmer milk, fir needles, orange zest, and cinnamon sticks for 20 minutes, stirring frequently and watching carefully. After simmering, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.

Very slowly pour the hot infused milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Return the custard to the small saucepan and heat over medium low heat until the custard thickens and the first couple bubbles break the surface. Do not overcook. Remove immediately and pass the cooked custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap film or a disk of parchment. Refrigerate for at least four hours, or ideally 12 hours to ensure the creme patissiere is chilled through.

To assemble

Fill a piping bag or plastic bag outfitted with a small piping tip with the chilled creme patissiere. Squeeze the custard into the holes in the base of the profiterole puffs, just until the mixture starts to ooze out.

Working in semi-concentric rings, stack the filled profiteroles in the shape of a tree or cone. Dust liberally with powdered sugar and garnish with sprigs of fir and pomegranate seeds.