PASSIONFRUIT CHEESECAKE CHOUX BUNS

MAKES 40

I use this unbaked cheesecake cream in a couple of my recipes. That’s because it’s delicious, easy and versatile. I want you to look at my recipes and be bold enough to mix and match. Swap out the passionfruit curd for lemon curd, crushed raspberries, or even Morello cherry compote. The options are limitless and can be easily adapted to suit your favourite flavours.

1 batch choux pastry (see recipe), baked into 7cm (2¾ inch) buns with craquelin (see recipe) gold lustre dust, to garnish (optional)

PASSIONFRUIT CURD

180g (6 oz) caster (superfine) sugar 140g (5 oz) unsalted butter, melted 120ml (4 fl oz) strained passionfruit juice 6 egg yolks grated zest of 2 lemons pinch of citric acid, or to taste

CHEESECAKE CREAM

500g (1 lb 2 oz) cream cheese, softened 150g (5½ oz) sour cream

100g (3½ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste 150ml (5 fl oz) thickened (whipping) cream

COOKIE CRUMBLE

150g (5½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour 80g (2¾ oz) unsalted butter

50g (1¾ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

WHITE CHOCOLATE DISCS

250g (9 oz) good-quality white chocolate, chopped

To make the passionfruit curd, put the sugar, butter, passionfruit juice, egg yolks and lemon zest in a small saucepan and whisk to break up the yolks. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the citric acid, adding only a tiny amount at a time and tasting after each addition – everyone has different tolerances to sour so this is completely up to your taste! Strain to remove any lumps and ensure that the curd is super silky. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming, then refrigerate the curd until chilled and set – at least a couple of hours, but overnight is best.

For the cheesecake cream, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, icing sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until completely smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl once or twice to make sure there are no lumps. Add the cream and slowly whisk until the mixture has thickened to a pipeable consistency. Do not overwhisk as the cream can split. Transfer the cheesecake cream to a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle and set aside in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the components.

For the cookie crumble, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone baking mat. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and rub together using your fingertips until the mixture is a crumbly consistency. Spread over the tray and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool, then break it up into a rough crumble.

For the white chocolate discs, put half the white chocolate in a plastic microwave-safe bowl. Cook on medium–low until just melted, stirring every 30 seconds to make sure the chocolate doesn’t overheat. Add the remaining chocolate gradually, stirring until melted after each addition. Spread the melted chocolate onto a sheet of acetate or baking paper. Once the chocolate has turned matt in appearance and is semi-set, use a 3–4cm (1¼ –1½ inch) metal ring cutter to cut out the discs. Place the discs in the fridge to set for 3–4 minutes, then store them at room temperature in an airtight container until you’re ready to assemble the choux buns.

Slice the tops off the choux buns. Fill each bun with 1 tablespoon of the passionfruit curd. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the cookie crumble over the curd, then pipe the cheesecake cream on top. Replace the choux lids, pipe a teaspoon of the cheesecake cream on top and secure the white chocolate discs. Sprinkle the buns with a little lustre dust, if using.