Mini Paris Brest With White Chocolate Crystallised Fruit Recipes

MINI PARIS-BREST WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE & CRYSTALLISED FRUIT

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper and mark 8 circles about 8-9cm across using a glass or mug. Turn the paper over. Sift the flour onto a sheet of baking paper. Put the butter and 150ml water into a pan, then bring slowly to the boil until the butter has melted. When the water is bubbling, remove quickly from the heat, tip in the flour all at once and beat quickly with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough that leaves the side of the pan clean. Remove from the heat and cool for 3 mins.
• Lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the egg to the dough gradually, beating well with each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy. Put this dough into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle (about 2cm across) or use a large food bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe 8 thick rings onto the baking sheet using the marked circles as a guide.
• Bake the buns for 20-25 mins until crisp and golden, then split them carefully in half through the centre using a sharp knife in a sawing action; return to the oven for 5 mins. Transfer to a cooling rack, taking care to keep the tops and bottoms together, and leave to cool. Whip the cream to soft peaks and stir in the vanilla. Melt 100g of the chocolate for 1-2 mins in a microwave. Leave to cool slightly, then fold into the cream.
• Stir half the crystallised fruit and the almonds through the cream. Fill the choux rings with the mixture using two teaspoons. Melt the remaining chocolate and drizzle over the choux rings. Scatter with crystallised fruit and leave to set. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

CHOCOLATE PARIS-BREST

Steps:

• To make the choux, tip the butter into a small saucepan with 100ml water, the caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then, still over the heat, add the flour, beating vigorously until the mixture clumps and comes together into a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the pan until just warm. Gradually beat in all but about 1 tsp of the egg using an electric whisk. Tip the pastry into a piping bag.
• Heat the oven 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Trace a 10cm circle on a piece of baking parchment using a small bowl or lid, then flip it over onto a baking tray. Pipe a thick ring of the pastry around the outside of the circle. Brush the pastry with the remaining egg, then scatter over the almonds. Bake for 15 mins, then reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and bake for 20 mins more. Reduce the oven again to 110C/ 90C fan/gas ¼ and bake for a final 10 mins. Turn off the oven and leave the ring to cool inside for 30 mins without opening the oven door.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Gently warm the custard in a small pan over a low heat, then stir in the dark chocolate, continuing to stir until the chocolate has fully melted and the mixture is thick. Scrape into a bowl and leave to cool. Whisk the chantilly cream ingredients together in a separate bowl until very thick and chill until needed.
• Carefully halve the choux ring through the middle using a serrated knife, and gently lift off the top. Spoon the chocolate filling into a piping bag and pipe large blobs over the bottom ring, leaving a gap between each. Put the chantilly mixture in a second piping bag and pipe blobs in the gaps between the chocolate filling. Carefully sandwich with the top of the ring, then dust lightly with the icing sugar and serve.