Praline salambos

Makes 18 Desserts and puddings

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Method

For the praline, place a sheet of foil on a baking tray. Place the sugar and 4tbsp water in a small saucepan set over a low heat until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat and boil until the syrup becomes a golden caramel. Swirl the pan carefully as it colours. Fold through the nuts then pour onto the foil and allow it to spread out thinly. Once cold, crack the praline into rough shards and use a food processor to blitz 125g of the pieces to a fine powder. Roughly chop the rest and set aside.

For the pastry cream, whisk the egg yolks until pale. Add a few tablespoons of the cold milk, sift in the flours and stir to a smooth cream.

Heat the rest of the milk until warm, then pour over the egg mixture, stirring well. Rinse the saucepan and return the mixture to it, cooking gently over a low heat for up to 6 minutes. When it starts to thicken around the edges and lumps form, keep stirring with a wooden spatula for a few minutes until thick and smooth. Whisk if lumps persist. Transfer to a bowl and directly cover the surface with clingfilm. Sit the bowl in a basin of cold water to cool for 30 minutes, then fold in 125g of the fine praline and chill until cold. Whisk the double cream until it leaves a trail when the whisk is lifted and fold into the pastry cream. Chill until needed.

For the choux puffs, preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F/Gas 6. Put the butter cubes and 200ml cold water in a saucepan. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt onto a sheet of baking paper. Place the pan over a high heat for a few minutes, removing it as soon as the butter melts and starts to bubble. Let the bubbles die down then rain in the flour in one go and quickly beat with a wooden spoon until totally smooth. Leave for 5 minutes then beat in 1⁄4 of the beaten egg. Make sure the mix is thick and smooth before repeating the process with the remaining egg. The mixture must be stiff enough to hold its shape without collapsing.

Using a teaspoon, spoon out even balls of mixture onto 1-2 baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, then up the temperature to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 and cook for about 15 minutes more until crisp, golden and easily removed with a spatula. Cut a small slit in the sides of the pastries to release steam; pop back in the oven for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Within an hour of serving, make the caramel topping. Place the sugar and 3tbsp water in a small pan set over a low heat. When the sugar dissolves, turn up the heat and boil to a rich golden caramel. Remove from the heat and sit the base of the pan in a large bowl of cold water for a moment to stop the caramel cooking, then remove and let cool a little so it reaches a good coating consistency. Stir through the reserved praline.

Using a serrated knife cut the puffs almost right through horizontally. Using a teaspoon, fill with the cream and arrange on a serving dish. Drizzle over caramel, one at a time, and sprinkle with toppings before it sets. Store in the fridge until 10 minutes before serving.