I promise you Choux pastry is not hard at all! My custard filling recipe is much lower in fat and can be done in the microwave in seconds!

This is definitely an impressive traditional French sweet treat that I have made a little healthier. Traditionally these are filled with whipped cream, ice-cream or pastry cream.

These are the little gems that create the famous (thanks Masterchef) Croquembouche.

 

Ingredients:

Pastry

• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 tbs white sugar
• ¼ tsn salt
• 4 eggs

Custard

• 1 cup skim milk
• 6 tbsn custard powder
• 6 tbsn white sugar

Chocolate top

• 200g dark chocolate
• 50g butter

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c.
2. Bring the water and butter to the boil in a saucepan on the stove to a medium heat. Once at a boil add the flour, sugar and salt stirring with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes or until the mix comes away from the side of the pan.
3. Take off the heat, wait 5 minutes and beat the eggs in one at a time. The mix will now resemble dough.
4. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
5. Using a piping bag with a large tip pipe 16 puffs in the size of golf balls leaving 5 cm apart on the 2 trays.
6. Place the 2 trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Decrease the oven temperature down to 190c and bake for a further 20 minutes until the pastry is golden and all puffed up.
8. Turn off the oven. With a knife cut a slit I the top of each puff and leave them in the oven to dry out for 10 minutes. Following place on a cooling rack to cool.
9. To prepare the custard place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Whisk well.
10. Microwave for 2 minutes on high, then whisk. Cook for a further 30 seconds and whisk. Repeat until the custard is super thick and glossy. Leave to cool. The custard should be thick enough to easily hold its shape.
11. With another piping bag and a medium star tip fill with the cooled custard.
12. Pipe the custard into each puff.
13. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl until bubbling. Add in the chocolate, microwave for 30 seconds. Stir with a metal spoon until thick and glossy.
14. Dip the puff into the chocolate topping and set aside to harden up prior to serving.

Notes:

• This is quite impressive but does take a while to work through each of the processes.

 

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