Raspberry Choux Puffs - Chef Recipe by Gabriel Gate

Ingredients

"I like to serve this popular dessert at the end of a Sunday family lunch. Plan ahead and cook the choux pastry and the crème pâtissière the day before you want to serve the dessert." ~ Gabriel Gate.

Raspberry Choux Puffs:

1/2 quantity Choux Pastry, made into 10 large choux puffs
Pulp of 2 passionfruit
1 quantity Crème Patissière (below)
250 ml (8. fl oz/1 cup) cream, whipped until firm
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) raspberries
Icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting

Choux Pastry:

60 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
125 g (4 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
4 large eggs
1 egg yolk mixed with
1 Tbs cold water, for glazing

Crème Patissière (makes 625 ml):

"This pastry custard is used in tarts, is delicious with fruit and is often used to make soufflés. You can make it lighter by adding a little whipped cream to the cold custard." ~ Gabriel Gate.

500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) milk
1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
4 egg yolks
100 g (3 1/2 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
50 g (2 oz/ 1/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

Method

Crème Patissière:

Combine the milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk well so the vanilla seeds flavour the milk.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl for 2 minutes. Whisk in the sifted flour.

Remove the vanilla pod from the milk.

Pour the hot milk onto the egg-yolk mixture, whisking well.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. When the mixture is just boiling and has thickened, transfer to a heatproof bowl. Whisk for a few seconds more, then set aside to cool before storing in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Choux Pastry:

Preheat the oven to 205C (405F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Combine 250 ml (8 1/2 fl oz/1 cup) water, the butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and add the flour, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until it forms a smooth sticky mass. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 3–4 minutes.

Mix in the eggs one at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm (1/2 in) plain nozzle.

To make small choux puffs, pipe small mounds of pastry 2 cm (3/4 in) in diameter and 2 cm (3/4 in) apart on the prepared tray. To make large choux puffs, pipe mounds of pastry 6 cm (2 1/2 in) in diameter and 2 cm (3/4 in) apart on the prepared tray. To make Paris Brest, pipe a ring 1 cm (1/2 in) thick and 5 cm (2 in) in diameter onto the tray.

Gently and lightly tap the top of each choux puff or Paris Brest with a fork dipped in the egg yolk and water mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 150C (300F) and cook for a further 20 minutes.

Turn off the oven and leave the choux pastry to dry in the oven for about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack before storing for up to 3 days.

Raspberry Choux Puffs:

Cut off the top of each choux puff to make a lid.

Whisk the passionfruit pulp with the crème patissière, then fold into the whipped cream. Spoon into a piping bag.

Place about eight raspberries in each choux puff. pipe the custard over the raspberries, up to the rim of the choux puff, and top with more raspberries.

Replace the lid on each choux puff. Dust with icing sugar, garnish with a raspberry and serve immediately.

Credits: This is an edited extract from So French So Sweet by Gabriel Gaté published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $29.99 and is available in stores nationally.

Photo Credits: Photographer: © Mark Roper.