Choux Crown

A triumphant cheese pastry that will be a recipe you turn to time and time again.

Hands-on time 35min, plus cooling. Cooking time about 45min. Serves 4

FOR THE CHOUX

● 60g butter, chilled and cubed, plus extra to grease

● 100g plain flour

● 3 large eggs

● ¾tsp English mustard powder

● 50g vegetarian Emmental, grated

● Poppy seeds, to sprinkle

FOR THE FILLING

● 25g butter

● 2 large shallots, finely sliced

● 375g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

● 75ml dry sherry, optional

● 100g crème fraîche

● 125ml double cream

● Large handful parsley, finely chopped

● Finely grated zest ½ lemon

● 50g watercress, roughly chopped

● 15g dried cranberries, chopped

1 To make the choux, in a medium pan, heat butter and 200ml cold water over low heat to melt butter. Turn up heat and bring to the boil. Working quickly, remove pan from heat and beat in flour with a wooden spoon until mixture is glossy and comes away from sides of pan: about 30sec. Cool for 10min.

2 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 and grease a large baking sheet. Beat 2 of the eggs, then gradually beat them into the cooled flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Next, mix in the mustard powder, cheese and some seasoning. Scrape mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle.

3 Pipe a 20.5cm circle on the greased sheet, squeezing out plenty of mixture so the ring is about 2cm wide and 2cm deep. With remaining mixture, pipe 8 small mounds

on top of the ring, spacing evenly apart (to resemble a crown). Using a damp finger, smooth the ring and mounds. Lightly beat remaining egg and brush over the choux. Sprinkle over poppy seeds.

4 Cook for 30min, until well risen and deeply golden. Carefully remove baking sheet from oven and pierce a few steam holes into the sides of the ring. Return to oven for 10min.

5 Meanwhile, make the filling. Melt butter in a large frying pan and gently cook shallots for 5min, to soften. Turn up heat to high and add mushrooms. Fry, stirring occasionally, until tender and there’s no moisture left in pan. Add sherry, if using, and bubble until pan is again almost dry. Stir in crème fraîche and double cream and bubble to thicken, about 5min.

Transfer warm choux ring

to a cake stand or board. Carefully slice off top ⅓.

Mix parsley, lemon zest and watercress through mushroom mixture and check seasoning. Spoon filling into base layer of ring and sprinkle over cranberries. Top with remaining choux layer and serve.

PER SERVING 681cals, 17g protein, 54g fat (32g saturates), 25g carbs (5g total sugars), 4g fibre

GET AHEAD Prepare to end of step 5 up to 3hr ahead. Leave choux ring on baking sheet. Cool mushroom mixture, transfer to a bowl, cover and chill. To serve, reheat ring in an oven preheated to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4 for 5min. Reheat filling in pan and complete recipe.