makes
12
prep
55 minutes
cook
1:10 hour
difficulty
Ace
makes
12
serves
preparation
55
minutes
cooking
1:10
hour
difficulty
Ace
level
Ingredients
Choux pastry base
- 65 ml full-cream milk
- 65 ml water
- pinch of salt
- 5 g caster (superfine) sugar
- 45 g unsalted butter
- 70 g plain (all purpose) flour
- 130 g whole eggs (approx. 2)
- 80 g sesame seeds
- vegetable oil spray or butter, for greasing
Chocolate cream
- 245 ml full cream milk
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- 10 g custard powder
- 50 g caster (superfine) sugar
- 95 g egg yolks (approx. 5)
- 135 g good-quality dark chocolate
- 70 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Raspberry jam
- 140 g frozen raspberries
- 115 g caster (superfine) sugar
- 30 g liquid glucose
Chocolate coating
- 250 g good-quality milk chocolate
- 40 g roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 35 ml grapeseed oil
Assembling
- mint leaves
- small block good-quality white chocolate
You can freeze the choux puffs before baking if you want to prepare ahead.
You can use store-bought jam if you are short on time.
Instructions
1. To make the choux pastry base, preheat the oven to 130°C. Prepare a tray by greasing it with a small amount of butter or some vegetable oil spray then dust the tray lightly with flour.
2. Place the milk, water, salt, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and add in the sieved flour. Vigorously stir the mixture and turn the heat back on. Continue stirring until there is a light, oily sheen on the surface and the dough comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
3. Place the eggs in a bowl and break them up with a fork. Slowly add the eggs into the mixture in intervals, adding a small amount of egg at a time and ensuring the egg is fully incorporated before adding any additional egg.
4. Test the consistency of the choux pastry before adding in all the eggs-when it is ready to pipe, the mixture should very slowly slide off a dessert spoon. Cover the dough with a slightly damp cloth and store it in the fridge for up to one hour before piping.
5. Transfer the prepared pastry into a disposable piping bag fitted with a 14 mm plain piping nozzle. Pipe the choux pastry into 35mm round shapes, approximately 40 mm apart, on the prepared tray. If you have any peaks in your piping, dip your finger in water and tap down any peaks as you go.
6. Sprinkle the surface of each choux puff with sesame seeds. Place all the piped choux puffs into the oven at the same time if possible.
7. Bake at 130°C for 15 minutes then increase the temperature of the oven to 150°C and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, then once again increase the oven temperature to 170°C for a further 12-15 minutes or until the pastry is firm and a dark golden brown colour. Do not open the oven door during the baking process or until the pastry has completely risen and is golden brown.
8. Once baked, open the door to release the steam and continue to dry out the choux for a few minutes.
9. To make the chocolate cream, bring the milk and vanilla to boil in a medium saucepan.
10. Place the custard powder and sugar in a separate bowl and whisk together by hand before adding in the egg yolks. Pour the boiled milk over the egg mixture and whisk together in the bowl before placing back into the saucepan and whisking on a medium heat while it comes back to a boil. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.
11. Add in the chocolate and whisk to combine. Add the butter and whisk it into the cream a piece at a time while whisking by hand. This process can also be done in a mixer. When all the butter is added, cover the bowl with plastic wrap touching the surface and place it in the fridge to cool for approximately one hour. The chocolate cream can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.
12. To make the raspberry jam, place the raspberries, sugar and glucose in a saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring. Heat until it reaches 103°C or if you don't have a thermometer, continue testing the jam by placing a small amount on a chilled plate until you have a soft jam consistency. This will give you an idea of what the consistency will be like once set.
13. Remove the jam from the saucepan and transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface.
14. To make the chocolate coating, melt the milk chocolate and temper it if it contains cocoa butter. To temper the chocolate, place it in a plastic bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until you have 50% liquid and 50% pieces of chocolate. Stir it vigorously without additional heat until all the chocolate has melted. If you have some resistant buttons you can gently heat the chocolate with a hair dryer while stirring.
15. Add in the oil and nuts and combine. Prepare the chocolate coating just prior to serving.
16. To assemble, slice the bottom off the choux pastry. Transfer the chocolate cream to a disposable piping bag fitted a 1 cm plain round piping nozzle. Pipe the chocolate cream into the base and then a second layer on top so it is raised above the pastry. Place the choux bases in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
17. Prepare the chocolate coating just prior to the bases coming out of the freezer. Dip the choux pastry base into the chocolate coating, covering the cream and not the pastry.
18. Fill the top of the choux pastry bun just to the top edge of the pastry. Heat the white chocolate block in the microwave for 5-10 seconds at a time, just until it softens. Grate the chocolate directly onto the chocolate coated base to replicate cheese.
19. Top with a drizzle of raspberry jam and mint leaves. Place the bun on top and serve. This is best eaten the same day it is created.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
