Profiteroles with cheat鈥檚 custard
Nigel Slater's profiteroles use both a simpler version of choux pastry and an easy alternative to proper custard.
Ingredients
For the profiteroles
- 100驳/3陆辞锄 butter, plus extra for greasing
- 150g/5oz plain flour
- pinch salt
- 4 free-range eggs
For the cheat's custard
- 4 free-range egg yolks
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds only
- 2 tbsp Marsala wine
- 300驳/10陆辞锄 mascarpone
For the topping
- 100驳/3陆辞锄 plain chocolate, minimum 75 per cent cocoa solids
- 100驳/3陆辞锄 white chocolate
- 60驳/2录辞锄 pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 30g/1录oz crystallised rose petals
- 30g/1录oz crystallised violets
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease a baking tray with a little butter and line with baking parchment.
For the profiteroles, in a large saucepan, heat 250ml/9fl oz water with the butter, flour and salt over a medium heat, beating well until combined.
Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.
Using an electric whisk, whisk the contents of the saucepan while gradually pouring in the beaten eggs. Continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy and all of the eggs have been incorporated.
Dot tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking tray, setting them a good 2-3cm/1-1陆in apart. Bake the profiteroles in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until puffed up and golden-brown.
Pierce the bottom of each cooked profiterole with a sharp knife to allow the steam to escape, then place onto a wire rack to cool.
Meanwhile, for the cheat鈥檚 custard, whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar and vanilla seeds until fluffly. Gently fold in the Marsala wine and mascarpone.
Stuff each profiterole with the cheat's custard through the steam holes, using either a teaspoon or a piping bag (you may need to enlarge each hole using a sharp knife).
Arrange the stuffed profiteroles in a tall pile on a large serving plate or cake stand.
Place two heatproof bowls over two saucepans filled with a little boiling water (do not allow the bottom of the bowls to touch the water). Heat over a medium heat until each pan of water is simmering. Add the plain chocolate to one bowl and the white chocolate to the other and stir until melted.
Trickle the melted plain and white chocolate over the profiteroles, then scatter the pile with the chopped pistachios and crystallised roses and violets to decorate.
