PRUE’S PUITS D’AMOUR

The French puits d’amour means ‘wells of love’ – which says it all.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

10cm round cutter; 2 baking sheets lined with parchment; 2 large piping bags; 1cm plain nozzle; 1.5cm plain nozzle; a kitchen blowtorch (optional)

Makes 9

1 quantity of rough puff pastry (see box below)

4½tsp demerara sugar

For the compote

250g (9oz) strawberries, hulled 25g (1oz) caster sugar

1tbsp lemon juice

50g (1¾oz) raspberries

For the crème pâtissière

500ml (18fl oz) whole milk Half a vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped, pod reserved

100g (3½oz) caster sugar 4 egg yolks

40g (1½oz) cornflour

40g (1½oz) unsalted butter

For the choux pastry

55g (2oz) unsalted butter, diced A pinch of salt

70g (2½oz) plain flour

2 eggs, beaten

Beaten egg, for brushing

Nibbed sugar (also called coarse pearl sugar, from supermarkets), for sprinkling

STEP 1 For the compote, place the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a pan. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the raspberries and cook for 5-10 minutes, until reduced to a thick compote (but not a jam). Cool, then chill.

STEP 2 For the crème pâtissière, place the milk and vanilla pod and seeds in a pan. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Whisk the sugar, yolks and cornflour in a large bowl. Whisk a little hot milk into the sugar and egg mixture, then whisk in the rest of the hot milk until well combined. Return to the pan. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens.

STEP 3 Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve into a clean bowl. Add the butter and stir until melted. Allow to cool, cover with clingfilm and chill until cold.

STEP 4 Heat the oven to 220°C/ fan 200°C/gas 7. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out the rough puff to a 35cm square. Using the 10cm cutter, cut out 9 discs. Place on the lined baking sheets and prick each disc all over with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.

STEP 5 For the choux pastry, place the butter, salt and 150ml water in a pan. Heat gently to melt the butter, then bring to the boil. Immediately remove from the heat and tip in the flour. Beat with a wooden spoon to a ball that leaves the sides of the pan.

STEP 6 Vigorously beat the eggs into the hot dough, a little at a time, until the dough is stiff and glossy. You may not need all the egg – stop adding if the dough starts to become loose. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with the 1cm nozzle.

STEP 7 Pipe the choux in a ring 0.5cm in from the edge of each disc. Brush each choux ring with beaten egg and sprinkle with nibbed sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until puffed, crisp and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

STEP 8 Spoon the crème pâtissière into a piping bag fitted with the 1.5cm nozzle. Spoon the strawberry compote into the pastry shells and pipe the crème pâtissière over the top. Sprinkle ½tsp demerara sugar on top of each one and, if you have a kitchen blowtorch, use it to brûlée the sugar. Serve immediately.