Mango and hazelnut choux puffs

Makes 16-20 Cakes, Bread and Pastries

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Method

To make the craquelin, beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl for a few minutes until pale and creamy. Add the flour and stir until you have a thick, smooth dough. Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of baking paper to about 2–3mm thick, then slide the sheet of dough on to a tray or baking sheet and put in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C F/Gas 6. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

To make the choux pastry, pour the milk and 60ml water into a small saucepan, add the butter and caster sugar and bring to the boil. Tip in the flour and salt all at once and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.

Continue to stir and cook for 2–3 minutes until the dough comes away cleanly from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand-held electric whisk).

With the mixer on medium speed, beat the dough briefly to cool it down a bit. Pour in some of the beaten egg, a little at a time, letting it fully incorporate before adding more – you may not need it all. The mixture will look lumpy at first but will come together.

Continue beating until you have a consistency that is slightly thicker than dropping consistency – it should hold a ‘V’ shape when you lift a wooden spoon from the bowl.

Transfer the dough to a piping bag and snip off the end to create a hole about 2cm wide. Pipe 16-20 blobs of choux pastry on to the prepared baking sheets approx. 2.5cm apart.

Take the chilled craquelin dough out of the freezer and use a round cutter to cut out discs that are the same width as your piped choux. Place a craquelin disc on top of each choux blob and put in the oven to bake for 25–35 minutes until the choux puffs are a deep golden brown.

Remove the puffs from the oven and pierce the bottom of each with a skewer or toothpick to let the steam escape. Put them back in the oven for 3 minutes to dry them out a little before letting them cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the filling, blitz the ripe mango flesh in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan with the sugar and lime juice and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently so the mixture doesn’t catch, then pour into a bowl to cool.

Put the cream, icing sugar and Frangelico in a medium bowl and whip until stiff peaks form, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle.

Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut off the top third of each choux puff. Spoon some mango filling inside the base of each and pipe a swirl of cream on top. Sprinkle a few chopped hazelnuts over before topping with the lid of the choux and dusting with icing sugar.

Once filled, the puffs are best served on the same day.

This recipe is from the May 2022 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.