Rhubarb and Custard Choux Puffs
I found this recipe in an old 'Country Living' magazine and thought I would try it over Easter as we have a good crop of rhubarb this year. I made the rhubarb compote by chopping up a handful of rhubarb stalks(4-5) and cooking them with about 50g of sugar (you can make it as sweet as you like) with 1tbsp of water until soft, I then pushed the rhubarb through a sieve with the back of a spoon and this gave me a thick sauce.
Choux Pastry
75g butter, diced
200ml water
100g plain flour, sifted (three times)
3 medium eggs, beaten
25g flaked almonds
Creme Patissiere
300ml whole milk
2 medium egg yolks
55g caster sugar
20g plain flour
20g cornflour
1/2tsp vanilla extract
150ml whipping cream, lightly whipped
To Finish
2tbsp rhubarb compote
icing sugar, to dust
1. Heat the oven 220c
2. Line 1 to 2 large baking trays with baking parchment.
3. First, make the choux pastry. Put the butter and 200ml of water in a medium pan. Slowly bring to the boil. The butter should melt before the butter melts.
4. Add the flour and beat well with a wooden spoon until the mixture leaves the side of the pan.
5. Spread out onto a plate and leave to cool.
6. Return the mixture to the pan, then gradually beat in the egg with a wooden spoon- it will become thick and glossy and should drop reluctantly from the spoon. You could use a mixer on a medium speed for this step if you wanted to.
7. Fill a piping bag, fitted with a large open-star nozzle, with the pastry mixture.
8. Pipe 12 large mounds of 6cm in diameter onto the baking trays.
9. Scatter over the top of the mounds a few of the flaked almonds.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and risen.
11. With a skewer, make a small hole in the base and return to the oven for 5minutes.
12. Cool on a wire rack.
13. While the puffs are cooling, make the creme patissierie. Bring the milk to just under the boil.
14. Mix the yolks with the sugar in a bowl until blended.
15. Stir in the flours, and gradually stir in the milk.
16. Return the mixture to the pan, and slowly bring to the boil until it thickens. If it goes lumpy, keep beating with a wooden spoon, until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.
17. Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface with greaseproof paper to stop a skin forming and chill.
18. Tip the creme patissierie into a food processor and whizz until smooth.
19. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the cream.
20. Stir in spoonfuls of the compote for a rippled effect.
21. Cut the puffs in half horizontally and put a spoonful of the rhubarb filling onto each base. Top with the lid and sit with icing sugar, then serve. Enjoy!
