GET BAKING WITH AEG

GET BAKING WITH AEG

VANILLA CHOUX BUNS

By Matt Adlard

ingredients 

  • Vanilla Chantilly
    - 1000g Double/Heavy Cream
    - 6.5g Gelatin Powder + 39g Water
    - 200g Melted White Chocolate
    - 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
  • Almond Craquelin
    - 65g Unsalted Butter
    - 65g Light Brown Sugar
    - 50g Bread Flour
    - 25g Ground Almonds
    - Red Food Colouring
     
  • Choux Pastry
    - 125g Whole Milk
    - 125g Water
    - 105g Unsalted Butter
    - 2.5g Salt
    - 5g Sugar
    - 150g Bread Flour
    - 240g Whole Eggs
  • Strawberry Compote
    - 300g Fresh Strawberries,
    - 15g Lemon Juice
    - 10g Sugar
    - 6g Pectin NH + 10g Sugar
     

Method

Vanilla Chantilly

1. Add the gelatin and cold water into a small saucepan and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.
   -6.5g Powdered Gelatin + 39g Cold Water
 
2. Add the white chocolate to a bowl and melt it over a pan of gently simmering water. Set it to one side.
   - 200g White Chocolate
 
3. Next, add the cream and vanilla to a medium saucepan, and bring to a gentle simmer.
   - 1000g Double/Heavy Cream
   - 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or 1 Whole Vanilla Pod
 
4. Once hot, turn off the heat, scoop in the bloomed gelatin. Stir the gelatin in until it has completely dissolved. 
 
5. Slowly pour the hot cream over the melted chocolate in three parts, stirring in small circles in the centre of the bow to create an emulsion.
 
6. Once you have added all the cream, ensure it is fully combined with the melted chocolate, cover the surface with cling film, and then refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours or ideally overnight.

 

Almond Craquelin

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, sugar & red colouring together until smooth.
   - 65g Unsalted Butter
   - 65g Light Brown Sugar
   - Red Food Colouring
 
2. Add in the flour and ground almonds, and mix on a low speed until fully combined.
   - 50g Bread Flour
   - 25g Ground Almonds
 
3. Place the mixture in between two sheets of parchment or two silicon mats and roll it out until it is nice and thin. Lay it on a tray and place it in the freezer.

Choux Pastry

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175C Non-Fan Assisted. 
2. Into a medium saucepan, add the water, milk, sugar, salt & butter.
   - 125g Whole Milk
   - 125g Water
   - 105g Unsalted Butter
   - 2.5g Salt
   - 5g Sugar
3. Place it on a medium heat until it reaches a boil.
4. Remove it from the heat and sift in the flour. Stir the flour in until there are no more lumps, then place it back on the heat and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes.
   - 150g Bread Flour
5. Remove the dough from the heat and pour it into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
6. Mix on low speed for 5m or until it has cooled to 45C on a thermometer. 
7. Slowly pour in the eggs, beating for 30s in between each addition. 
   - 240g Whole Eggs
8. You should end up with a mixture that looks smooth and glossy. 
9. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.
10. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
11. Pipe round of choux pastry, about 1” in diameter. 
12. Remove the almond craquelin from the freezer, peel off the silicon mats/parchment paper, and work quickly, to cut circles about 1.5” in diameter and place this on top of the piped choux pastry. 
13. Place the choux into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 160C and bake for a further 20m or until a nice golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 

Strawberry Compote

1. Slice the strawberries into small cubes and add them into a medium saucepan along with the lemon juice and sugar.
   - 300g Fresh Strawberries
   - 10g Sugar
   - 15g Lemon Juice
 
2. Stir over a medium heat until they start to bubble. You might need a splash of water if it looks slightly dry.
 
3. Meanwhile, stir together the Pectin NH and sugar in a bowl to combine.
   - 6g Pectin NH + 10g Sugar
 
4. Once bubbling, stir the pectin mixture into the strawberries and cook for a further 3-4m on a medium low heat until they have started to thicken.
 
5. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into a dish. Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
 
6. To fill the choux, heat a measuring spoon with some boiling water then dry it off. Carefully scoop a hole out of the centre of the piped chantilly cream.
 
7. Fill the hole with strawberry compote and then dust the outside of the choux with vanilla powder. 

Assembly

1. Remove the vanilla chantilly from the fridge and using a stand mixer or an electric hand whisk - whisk the mixture until you have a medium peak. It should take 1-2 minutes.
 
2. Add the cream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip nozzle.
 
3. Use a serrated knife to cut a lid off the top of the choux buns.
 
4. At this point you could also add other filling into the choux, such as raspberry jam or salted caramel.
 
5. Pipe the cream in anti clockwise motion in the choux, filling it up and then creating a decorative swirl at the top.