Berries And Cream Choux Ring Food

BERRIES & CREAM PUFF RING RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the custard: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and milk. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Cook the custard in a microwave for 4 minutes, stirring after every 2 minutes until very smooth. Re-cover with plastic wrap, pressing onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the fridge until cool, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Make the pastry: In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil over medium heat.
• As soon as the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour. Using a wooden spoon, mix thoroughly to combine.
• Continue stirring (about two minutes). The dough should form into a ball and easily pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Add 4 of the eggs to the cooled dough, one at a time, being sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next. (The eggs will initially be difficult to incorporate into the dough, but continue stirring vigorously and they will eventually come together to form a smooth, shiny dough. When the dough drops making a V shape, it is ready!)
• Transfer the dough to a piping bag and pipe onto the baking sheet in an 7-inch (17-cm) ring shape. Pipe a second ring outside the first ring. Pipe a final ring on top. Beat the remaining egg, then brush over the ring.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Then, without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350˚F(180˚C) and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Turn off the oven and leave the puff pastry inside for another 10 minutes.
• Cut the choux pastry in half horizontally. Pipe the custard into the hollow center of the shell. Pipe whipped cream on top of the custard. Top with berries. Place the top half of the shell. Dust with powdered sugar.
• Enjoy!

BERRIES AND CREAM CHOUX RING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the butter in a pan with 150ml cold water and a pinch of salt. Heat until the butter melts and then bring it to the boil. Once boiling, remove immediately from the heat and add all the flour at once. Beat hard with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough that leaves the sides of the pan clean. Tip into a large bowl and leave to cool for 15 minutes.
• Gradually beat the eggs into the dough - you can do this with a wooden spoon or electric hand mixer. Put the mixture into a freezer bag and snip off one corner. Use this to pipe a 20cm ring on the baking tray.
• Sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake for 30 minutes, without opening the oven, or until puffed up and golden. With a knife, make small holes round the edge (to let steam escape). Return to the oven for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
• Mix the mascarpone with the icing sugar, vanilla and milk. Slice the ring in two and fill with the mascarpone and fruit. Dust with icing sugar.

CREAM PUFFS, CHOUX PASTRIES, BALLS OR RING VARIETY

Steps:

• Heat the butter and water gently in a saucepan, bring to the boil and remove from the heat.
• Quickly tip in all the flour and beat to the smooth paste with a wooden spoon so that it forms a ball in the center of the pan.
• Leave to cool slightly for several minutes, (This is important!).
• Cover the baking sheet (cookie sheet) with baking paper, and then wet the paper slightly with cold water so that you have some little droplets still on the sheet--this will help the pastry not to catch on the bottom and stick at all.
• Add all the beaten eggs a little bit at a time until the paste gets a glossy sheen on it, if it's still a little "liquid-y" then you haven't beaten it in long enough, When it comes back to the thick paste it's ready to be put in spoonfuls into the baking sheets (cookie sheets).
• Spoon the paste onto baking sheets in the form of a the numbers of the clock-face, lifting the top of each mound into a peak and joining the balls together to create a circle.
• Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 45-50 minutes.
• Once cooked, carefully cut the "ring" in half horizontally and lift off the top half of the ring. (I use a wire cooling rack to hold it against so it doesn't break). Leave to cool on the wire rack.
• Fill with: Traditionally it would be filled with Confectioners' custard, but even quicker and easier (and one of my favourites) make a very basic custard, but use a little less custard powder than the packet recommends, and add lemon juice to taste, cover the bottom half of the cream puff ring with custard, layer on the peaches or apricots, add a little more custard to fill up spaces.
• Put the choux pastry "top" back on, drizzle melted chocolate in "zig-zag" style over the top.
• OR another favorite variation: Heap fresh strawberries into the bottom part of the ring, cover with whipped cream, put the "top" back on again and drizzle melted chocolate over the top of it all --.
• Alternatively: spoon the paste onto the baking sheet in little balls, and cut a small slit in them when they are cooked to release the steam and fill with anything you like: whipped cream, custard etc.
• The little balls can then be dipped into chocolate for WOW presentation and ultimate yumminess :).
• However you present the final result, enjoy!