Double chocolate heart choux buns

Serves 2

Preparation time 30 minutes

Cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients

40g butter from Beillevaire

1 egg from Sillfield Farm

60g plain flour

125ml milk

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons of caster sugar

75g good dark chocolate, chopped from Chocolicious

150ml double cream from Real France

50ml milk

1 tablespoon of brandy, optional 

Preparation Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

To make the choux buns: place the butter in a small saucepan along with 100ml water. Bring up to the boil and bubble for a minute. Remove from the heat and stir in 50g of the flour. The mixture will thicken and you know it is ready to stop stirring when the paste comes away from the side of the pan and looks slick.

Beat the egg in to the paste which wont be brilliantly easy, but bear with it. With a little patience it will mix in to a smooth paste. Place in to a piping back fitted with a fluted 1cm nozzle.

Pipe 4 heart shapes on to the tray, about 6cm from top to toe, filling in so it is a solid shape. Exaggerate the top part of the heart as when the choux cooks it will grow. Try to make sure you pipe it all in one go, but if you have any peaks of mixture, press them down with a damp finger!

Bake for 18-20 minutes until crispy and puffy. Cool.

Make the crème patissiere. Place the milk in to a pan and warm. Meanwhile, stir together the yolks, sugar and the remaining 10g of flour until smooth. Once the milk has reached scalding point, pour over the egg mixture, whisking well until smooth then pour back in the pan. Cook over a low heat, whisking until the custard comes up the boil to cook out the flour. Stir in 50g of the chocolate to melt, then lay a piece of clingfilm or a butter paper on the top of the custard to stop a skin forming.  Cool completely.

Whip 100ml of the cream until it holds soft peaks then stir in to the custard. Place in to a piping bag with a really small nozzle. Make a small hole in the base of the choux buns, poke the piping nozzle in to it and fill each bun with the chocolate cream.

Warm the remaining 50ml cream and the milk in a small pan and add the rest of the chocolate. Turn off the heat and mix well to melt the chocolate to a smooth sauce. Add the brandy if you wish.

Serve the choux buns with the sauce and a few mixed berries for a touch of romantic red!