Choux Pastry with Blueberry Compote and Whipped Cream

Ingredients

Choux pastry

  • 100g butter
  • 200ml water
  • 100g plain flour
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Blueberry Compote

  • 3 cups frozen blueberries
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 300ml good quality whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place butter and water in a saucepan and place over medium heat until the butter has melted. Increase the heat slightly and bring to the boil. Sift flour into the butter along with salt and sugar, and stir well until the mixture comes together and forms a ball. Remove the pan from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Add eggs a little at a time to the dough while mixing continuously until the mixture is glossy. Spoon the dough into a piping bag with a star shaped nib.
  2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly grease with butter. Pipe a 15cm ring onto the tray and pipe another one next to it on the inside so it touches the first one. Next pipe another ring on the top the two others rings. Pipe any excess pastry evenly on top and around the ring.
  3. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes and don’t look at it for the first 20 minutes. Once the top turns golden brown, remove from the oven and make four incisions around the outside of the ring to release any hot hair trapped inside. This will prevent it from sinking.
  4. To make the blueberry compote, add blueberries, water and sugar into a heavy based saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the compote thickens. Let cool. In a separate bowl add cream and icing sugar. Whip until the cream is firm enough to dollop and hold it’s shape. Cut the choux pastry horizontally across the ring so you have a top and bottom half. Spread the blueberry compote evenly over the top and add the cream on the top. Carefully place the top piece of the choux ring on top of the compote and cream and it’s ready to serve.

Recipe and photography by Emily Fitzgerald