PROFITEROLES WITH PASSION FRUIT CREAM AND RICH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

By Paul Heathcote on Feb 13, 09 10:19 PM

IF YOU are one of the thousands who have yet to book a Valentine's meal' 24 hours before the date, you might need a back-up! Most restaurants, and certainly mine, are always booked well in advance and, with Valentine's Day falling on a Saturday, I am sure this year, in spite of the credit crunch, will be no exception.

Many restaurants are running their menus over the complete weekend. However, if you still can't get booked in, this dish is sure to woo your partner. Crisp choux buns filled with creamy zingy passion fruit cream and chocolate sauce is enough to make up for any forgotten restaurant reservation.

Ingredients for choux buns

65ml of water

65ml of milk

50g of butter, diced

Pinch of sea salt

½ tsp sugar

75g of plain flour, sifted

2 eggs

Ingredients for Passion Fruit Cream

3 yolks

65g of castor sugar

20g of plain flour, sifted

250 litres of milk

½ vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out

Icing sugar

75ml whipped double cream

4 passion fruit cut into half and pulp scraped out

Ingredients for Chocolate Sauce

100g of good chocolate coverture (70%)

75ml of milk

25ml of cream

20g of sugar

Method:

1. First make the profiteroles. Set the oven to 200°C, Gas Mark 6 and grease metal baking tray.

2. Bring the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar to the boil until the butter has melted; beat in the flour vigorously until whole of the mix is coming away from the sides of the pan.

3. Allow to cool until warm but not hot, crack the eggs in a bowl and whisk. Add a little of the eggs to the flour mix and beat in well in stages.

4. Either pipe onto the baking sheet or use a teaspoon to drop a small spoonful of the mix approx 1.5 cms wide, very gently flatten slightly with the back of a fork, bake for 15-20 minutes until risen and crisp. Chef's tip: after 5 minutes open the door for 30 seconds to allow some of the steam to escape.

To make the cream filling

1. Whisk the eggs yokes and castor sugar until creamy white in colour and then whisk in the flour.

2. Bring the milk and vanilla pod to the boil and remove the pod before adding a little of the hot milk to the yoke mix - whisk vigorously before adding the remaining liquid in a couple of stages.

3. Return to the pan and stir over a low heat with a wooden spoon until the mix becomes thick, taking caution that it does not burn.

4. Place in a bowl, sprinkle over icing sugar (this prevents a skin forming) and allow to cool before adding the passion fruit pulp.

5. Finally, gently fold in the 75 ml of whipped cream.

For the chocolate sauce

1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave on a low heat for a minute or so. Meanwhile bring the milk, cream and sugar to the bowl and remove from the heat. Pour over the chocolate and whisk well.

2. Finally to put together - place the passion fruit cream inside the choux buns by inserting a little hole and piping into the centre, alternatively cut in half and spoon in, serve three or four as a portion and pour over the chocolate sauce.

Chef's tip: This sauce will easily microwave to reheat.