INGREDIENTS
Croustillant
100 g raw sugar
100 g caster sugar
200 g plain flour
170 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Choux puffs
250 ml full cream milk
250 ml water
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt flakes
200 g unsalted butter
300 g plain flour, sifted
450 g eggs (approximately 9 eggs), lightly whisked
Honey pears
200 g firm pears, peeled, finely diced
50 g unsalted butter
60 g honey
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
Caramelised pecans
135 g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
110 g caster sugar
80 ml water
Jasmine tea crème
15 g loose leaf jasmine tea
300 ml full cream milk
¼ tsp salt flakes
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
2 tbsp custard powder or cornflour
100 g egg yolks (approximately 5)
210 g unsalted butter, diced
METHOD
Croustillant
- Place all ingredients into a bowl of a food processor with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until completely combined and there are no lumps of butter.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper until it is approximately 3mm in thickness. Freeze on a baking tray for 1 hour.
- Remove the croustillant from the freezer and cut 5cm round discs, place directly into a Silikomart No’8 half sphere mould. Smooth to mould to the sphere shape. Place back into the refrigerator until required.
Choux puffs
- Place the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter in a saucepan and bring to the boil on medium-high heat, induction setting 7.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the flour until combined.
- Return to a low heat, induction setting 3, and cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring continuously until the choux pastry has an oily sheen on the surface.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl of a freestanding mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed, gradually incorporating the eggs. Stop the mixer regularly to scrape down the sides.
- Place the mixture into a piping bag with a plain round 12mm piping tip.
- Pipe into the moulds to fill. Smooth over the tops to level. Place into the freezer for 8 hours or until frozen.
- Once frozen, unmould the individual choux pastry and separate them on a baking tray. Place into the oven on shelf level 2 and select Moisture Plus with Fan Plus at 170°C with one automatic burst of steam. Cook for 50 minutes or until the choux buns sound hollow when tapped on the base.
Honey pears
- In a saucepan on medium heat, induction setting 6, sauté the pears with all the other ingredients until slightly softened.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Drain any excess liquid and refrigerate pears until required.
Caramelised pecans
- In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to the boil on high heat, induction setting 9. Once it comes to the boil, add in the chopped pecans and stir through. Continue to boil for a further 3 minutes.
- Strain the pecans through a fine mesh sieve over a metal bowl. Discard excess sugar syrup.
- Spread pecans out onto a paper lined baking tray and place into the oven on shelf level 2.
- Bake on Fan Plus at 160°C for approximately 15 minutes, or until they have dried out and become slightly roasted. Leave to cool at room temperature then finely chop.
Jasmine tea crème
- In a medium saucepan, gently warm milk and tea on medium heat, induction setting 6, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and infuse for 1 hour.
- Strain the milk through a fine sieve, pressing firmly. Retain the milk and discard tea leaves.
- Return the infused milk, salt and vanilla paste to a clean saucepan and bring to the boil on high heat, induction setting 8.
- In a separate bowl, combine sugar and custard powder. Slowly add the egg yolks and whisk by hand to combine.
- Pour the boiled milk over the egg mixture and continue whisking. Return the custard back into a clean saucepan and bring to the boil on medium-high heat, induction setting 7, whisking continuously for approximately 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and scrape the custard into a bowl. Gradually whisk in the diced butter, a piece at a time.
- Press the cling wrap onto the surface of the custard and cool at room temperature before placing into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight, until required.
To serve
- Pierce a hole into the base of the choux buns using a 10mm piping tip.
- Place a teaspoon of honey pears into each bun.
- Combine 125 g of the caramelised pecans with the jasmine tea crème. Ensure the pecans are chopped finely enough to fit through a 12mm nozzle. Reserve remaining pecans for a garnish.
- Using a piping bag with 12mm piping tip, fill bag with jasmine and pecan crème. Pipe approximately 1 tablespoon of crème into the choux buns.
- Invert the buns right way up into a baking tray and pipe a small amount of crème onto the top. Garnish with remaining caramelised pecans and dust with icing sugar.
Hints and tips
- The buns can be cooked using an automatic programme. Select Automatic program/ Cookies and Muffins /Choux Buns.
- Choux buns can be piped onto a lined baking tray and place the croustillant directly on top if you don’t have a half sphere mould.
- Baked unfilled choux buns can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
- Jasmine tea crème will keep refrigerated for a week.
APPLIANCE / FUNCTION
Kirsten Tibballs
Kirsten Tibballs, proclaimed by MasterChef Australia as ‘the Queen of Chocolate’, is one of Australia’s most celebrated and internationally respected pastry chefs and chocolatiers.
With a desire to pass on her knowledge to other passionate food lovers and professional pastry chefs, Kirsten established Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School in 2002 in Brunswick, Melbourne. Savour creates an opportunity for students to learn from and work alongside their award-winning chefs. It boasts a state of the art kitchen and hosts a number of renowned international pastry chefs each year.
