Light and airy choux pastry is filled with vanilla flavoured cream and covered in a dark chocolate glaze for a classic teatime treat!
Start with these choux buns, and once you've mastered them, you can move onto making more elaborate eclairs, profiteroles and choux crowns.
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Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
25 mins
Cook Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Cal/Serv:
470
Ingredients
For the choux pastry
50 g butter, cut into cubes
150 ml sparkling spring water
1 Tbsp. golden caster sugar
65 g plain flour, sifted on to a sheet of greaseproof paper
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
For the filling
284 ml carton double cream, whipped with 1tsp vanilla extract and 1tsp caster sugar
For the topping
200 g plain chocolate, melted with 75g butter
Directions
Step 1Melt the butter with the water and caster sugar in a heavy-based pan.
Step 2Bring to the boil, turn off the heat and immediately tip in all the flour.Beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball in the centre of the pan.
Step 3Turn the ball into a bowl and cool for 15min. Preheat the oven to 220°C (190°C fan) mark 7.Gradually whisk in the eggs a little at a time until the mixture is shiny.
Step 4Sprinkle water over a non-stick baking sheet. Put eight large spoonfuls of the mixture on to the baking sheet.
Step 5Bake for 30min until risen and golden brown. Turn off the oven. Pierce each bun. Leave in the oven for 10-15min.
Step 6Cool on a wire rack. Halve buns and fill with cream. Top with warm melted chocolate and serve.
By sprinkling your baking parchment with water, you create steam in the oven which helps the choux to rise.
Rapidly tip in all of the flour at once and beat straight away, to cook the flour evenly throughout the mixture.
Beating the flour vigorously means you ensure the crucial development of gluten, however, by ceasing to beat once the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan, you don't overdevelop the gluten which would result in tough pastry.
It's important to release the steam from inside your choux pastry, by creating a small hole, in order to allow it to dry out.
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