Ingredients
- For the creme pâtissière:
- 150ml milk
- 100ml cream
- 100g roasted, ground hazelnuts
- 60g caster sugar
- 20g cornflour
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp salt
- For the craquelin:
- 90g demerara sugar
- 100g plain flour
- 90g soft butter
- For the choux pastry:
- 70g milk
- 70g water
- 70g butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 85g plain flour
- 3 eggs
- For the ganache:
- 120g dark chocolate
- 100g cream
- To finish:
- 100g cream
- 40g roasted hazelnuts
- First, prepare the creme patissière. Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan until it just about starts to simmer, then remove from the heat, and add the hazelnuts. Cover and chill for at least two hours, or overnight.
- Strain out the hazelnuts and top up with more milk to bring back to 250ml. Heat this liquid again in a medium saucepan, until almost simmering. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients. When the milk/cream is hot, pour this over the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Pour back into the saucepan over a medium heat, and whisk until it has thickened and just started to boil. Pour into a container and refrigerate for at least two hours.
- For the craquelin, beat together the butter, sugar and flour until smooth. Place between two sheets of baking paper, and roll out to half-a-centimetre thick. Cut out 3cm discs and refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.
- For the choux, place the milk, water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan and heat until it reaches a rolling boil. Remove from the heat, add the flour, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Place in a bowl, and allow to cool for a few minutes while you whisk together the eggs. Then add the egg to the dough mixture, small increments at a time, stirring until fully incorporated each time.
- Place this mixture in a piping bag, and pipe small 3cm circles on to sheets of baking paper. Place a craquelin disc on each bun.
- Bake at 220 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven to 180 degrees and bake for a further 15-20 minutes. When they come out of the oven, use a sharp knife to poke a small hole in the base of each one, then allow to cool.
- Whip the 100g cream to soft peaks and fold through the cooled creme patissière. Place this in a piping bag, and use it to fill each of the buns.
- For the ganache, heat the cream until steaming, then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Whisk until completely melted and smooth. Dip each bun in ganache, and then top with chopped hazelnuts.
