White chocolate and raspberry ice-cream choux stack

SERVES 10-12 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 1 HR

This fun dessert is easier to make than it looks, and everything can be made ahead. The no-churn ice-cream is a cinch; once it’s set, scoop it into balls and freeze them on trays so they’re ready to go. And the pastries can be stored in airtight containers until they’re needed. All that’s left to do is place the ice-cream balls in the pastries and stack them up. Start this recipe at least a day ahead to make the ice-cream. Pictured p134. 660 gm couverture white

chocolate, finely chopped 1.2 litres pouring cream

Pure icing sugar, freeze-dried raspberry powder (optional; see note) and raspberries

(or cherries), to serve CHOUX PASTRY

100 gm butter, coarsely

chopped

150 gm (1 cup) plain flour,

sieved

4 eggs

1 To make white chocolate ice-cream, place chocolate in a large bowl, bring cream to the boil in a large saucepan, then strain onto chocolate.

Add a large pinch of salt and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally so mixture doesn’t separate, then refrigerate and whisk occasionally until chilled (2-3 hours). Transfer mixture to an electric mixer and whisk until soft peaks form. Pour into a chilled container and freeze until firm (overnight).

2 For choux pastry, preheat oven to 190°C and line 2-3 oven trays with baking paper. Bring butter and 250ml water to the boil in a saucepan, then add flour and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Remove from heat and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Place mixture in a piping bag fitted with a 2cm star nozzle and pipe a large ring (about 18cm diameter) on one baking tray, then 3cm balls on the other trays. With wet fingers, lightly press the peaks down a little. Bake, swapping trays once or twice during cooking, until pastries are golden and crisp

(45 minutes to 1 hour).

3 Halve pastries horizontally and place in an airtight container. Scoop ice-cream into balls and freeze.

4 To serve, place ice-cream balls on the base of the large ring and sandwich with top half. Sandwich balls between individual pastries and stack on top; any extras can be served alongside. Dust with icing sugar and raspberry powder and scatter with fresh raspberries.

Note Pastries are best eaten on the day they’re made; they can be made ahead but need to be refreshed in a hot oven to crisp them up. Freeze-dried raspberry powder is available from The Essential Ingredient.