serves
8
prep
50 minutes
cook
55 minutes
difficulty
Ace
serves
8
people
preparation
50
minutes
cooking
55
minutes
difficulty
Ace
level
Ingredients
- 100 g unsalted butter, chopped
- pinch of salt
- 160 g plain flour, sifted
- 5 eggs (size 60 g)
- 20 cm disc rolled puff pastry
- 200 g fondant, chopped
- 250 g glucose syrup
- 300 g whipping cream
- halved strawberries, to garnish
- icing sugar, for dusting
- 500 ml (2 cups) milk
- ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
4 egg yolks
100 g caster sugar
50 g plain flour, sifted
Instructions
1. To make the crème patissière, place the milk, vanilla bean and scraped seeds into a saucepan and bring to just below the boil over high heat. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine well.
2. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Whisking continuously, gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture until well combined. Return to the same pan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously for 5 minutes or until thick and smooth. Strain into a bowl, discard the vanilla bean, then cover the surface with plastic wrap and cool. Refrigerate until needed.
3. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
4. Place 250 ml (1 cup) water in a saucepan with the butter and salt and bring to a simmer.
5. Remove from the heat, then add the flour in one go and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until well combined. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring continuously for 1 minute or until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the side of the pan. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
6. Transfer to an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the motor running on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Transfer the choux pastry to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain nozzle.
7. Place the puff pastry disc on a baking tray lined with baking paper, then pipe a choux pastry circle around the edge of the puff pastry. Fill in the circle by piping the choux pastry in a spiral pattern starting from the centre.
8. On a second baking tray lined with baking paper, pipe at least 12 profiteroles about 3 cm in diameter. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden, then reduce the heat to 180°C and bake the base for another 40 minutes and the profiteroles for another 25 minutes or until dry.
9. Remove from the oven and cut a small hole in the base of each profiterole to allow the steam to escape. Set aside to cool completely.
10. Place the fondant and glucose syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then simmer until the syrup reaches a dark golden caramel.
11. Dip the base of the pan into iced water to stop the caramel from cooking further, then use immediately. If the caramel begins to harden, then return to low heat until melted again.
12. Very carefully dip the tips of the choux puffs into the hot caramel then place them caramel side-down, onto a baking paper-lined tray. When cooled, dip the other tip of the choux puffs in the caramel, then stick them to the edges of the cake base.
13. Place 300 g of the cooled crème pâtissière in a large bowl and reserve the remainder for another use. Place the cream in a separate bowl and whisk just until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the crème pâtissière.
14. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a special St Honoré nozzle.
15. Using a serrated knife, cut the caramelised choux puffs in half. Pipe a layer of the custard mixture into the centre of the gâteau, then fill the choux halves that are attached to the gâteau.
16. Top with the other choux halves. Place an extra garnished choux puff in the centre, then garnish with strawberry halves and dust with icing sugar.
17. Lastly, dust with icing sugar and you can garnish it with white chocolate curls. Bon appétit!
For the crème patissière, place the milk, vanilla bean and scraped seeds into a saucepan and bring to just below the boil over high heat. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine well. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Whisking continuously, gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture until well combined. Return to the same pan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously for 5 minutes or until thick and smooth. Strain into a bowl, discard the vanilla bean, then cover the surface with plastic wrap and cool. Refrigerate until needed.
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Place 250 ml (1 cup) water in a saucepan with the butter and salt and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, then add the flour in one go and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until well combined. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring continuously for 1 minute or until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the side of the pan. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Transfer to an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the motor running on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Transfer the choux pastry to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain nozzle.
Place the puff pastry disc on a baking tray lined with baking paper, then pipe a choux pastry circle around the edge of the puff pastry. Fill in the circle by piping the choux pastry in a spiral pattern starting from the centre.
On a second baking tray lined with baking paper, pipe at least 12 profiteroles about
3 cm in diameter. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden, then reduce the heat to 180°C and bake the base for another 40 minutes and the profiteroles for another 25 minutes or until dry. Remove from the oven and cut a small hole in the base of each profiterole to allow the steam to escape. Set aside to cool completely.
Place the fondant and glucose syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then simmer until the syrup reaches a dark golden caramel. Dip the base of the pan into iced water to stop the caramel from cooking further, then use immediately. If the caramel begins to harden, then return to low heat until melted again.
Very carefully dip the tips of the choux puffs into the hot caramel then place them caramel side-down, onto a baking paper-lined tray. When cooled, dip the other tip of the choux puffs in the caramel, then stick them to the edges of the cake base.
Place 300 g of the cooled crème pâtissière in a large bowl and reserve the remainder for another use. Place the cream in a separate bowl and whisk just until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the crème pâtissière. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a special St Honoré nozzle.
Using a serrated knife, cut the caramelised choux puffs in half. Pipe a layer of the custard mixture into the centre of the gâteau, then fill the choux halves that are attached to the gâteau. Top with the other choux halves. Place an extra garnished choux puff in the centre, then garnish with strawberry halves and dust with icing sugar.
On Taste Le Tour Pierrick garnishes his St Honoré with two white chocolate curls. Bon appétit!
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.
