Tiramisu profiterole stack

Choux pastry profiteroles filled with sweet coffee cream, covered in dark chocolate and finished with almond brittle.

SERVES 10 PREP 1hr, plus cooling and chilling COOK 45min

FOR THE CHOUX PASTRY

• 75g (3oz) plain flour

• 1tsp icing sugar

• 50g (2oz) unsalted butter, plus extra to grease

• 2 medium eggs, beaten

FOR THE FILLING

• 250g tub mascarpone

• 40g (1½oz) icing sugar, sifted

• 2tsp espresso powder dissolved in 1tbsp boiling water

• 3tbsp Kahlúa

• 150ml (5fl oz) double cream

FOR THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING

• 150g (5oz) dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped

• 150ml (5fl oz) double cream

• 2tbsp golden syrup

FOR THE ALMOND BRITTLE

• 25g (1oz) flaked almonds

• 75g (3oz) caster sugar

• Gold leaf to decorate, optional

1 For choux pastry: mix flour, icing sugar and a pinch of fine salt in a bowl. Gently heat butter and 125ml (4fl oz) cold water in a medium pan to melt butter. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat and, in one go, add flour mixture, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture comes away from

sides of pan. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool for 10min. Gradually beat in eggs, whisking well between each addition, until smooth and glossy.

2 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Lightly grease 2 large baking trays and sprinkle with a little water (this will create steam in the oven). Transfer choux mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm (⅔in) plain nozzle and pipe 2.5cm (1in) buns, spaced well apart. Use a wet finger to smooth the tops. Bake for 10min, then increase heat to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7, and bake for a further 10-15min until golden and crisp. Remove from oven and pierce base of each bun with a skewer, to release steam. Return to oven, pierced side up, for 2min. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

3 To make the brittle, toast almonds in a large, dry frying pan until golden. Tip on to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Gently heat sugar and 1tbsp water in a pan until sugar dissolves. Turn up heat and simmer without stirring until golden, then pour over nuts to cover. Set aside to cool and harden. Shatter into pieces.

4 For filling, whisk mascarpone with icing sugar until smooth, then whisk in coffee mixture and Kahlúa. In separate bowl, whisk double cream until it holds its shape. Fold into mascarpone mix.

Cover and chill until ready to use.

5 Shortly before serving, make chocolate topping: put ingredients in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely-simmering water, ensuring base of bowl doesn’t touch water.

Heat gently until chocolate has melted, stirring occasionally until smooth and glossy. If mixture begins to split, stir in 2tbsp just-boiled water. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly and thicken up – about 10min.

6 Meanwhile, fill a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle (about 5mm/¼in) with cream mixture. Pipe into buns via holes you made earlier. Arrange hole-down on wire rack set over a large sheet of baking parchment.

7 Spoon chocolate topping on to each bun. Pile up on a serving plate or cake stand, scatter over almond brittle and finish with gold leaf, if you like. Serve.

GET AHEAD Make the choux buns up to 3hr ahead. Alternatively, make up to 1 month ahead: once cold, transfer to a sealed plastic food bag and freeze. When ready to serve, defrost then refresh in the oven for 3-4min at 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4 to crisp up. Cool and complete recipe to serve. Make the coffee cream up to a day ahead; cover and chill. Make the brittle up to a day ahead, transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature.

‘A spectacular finale for your festive meal’