Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Limoncello Cream Choux-Nuts
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
1 hour 15 nins
40 mins
3 hours 30 ins
Serves:
10 filled chouxnuts
Giuseppe created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 12. He filled crisp fried choux rings with a lemon-zest diplomat cream laced with limoncello, giving Pastry Week a confident Italian accent. This Fix-It version keeps his choux, shape and filling intact and simply reins in the limoncello...
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Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY CREAM: 1 cup (250 ml) whole milk Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon 3 large egg yolks 1/3 cup (60 g) granulated sugar 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (20 g) cornstarch 1 tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter
FOR THE CHOUX RINGS: 1/3 cup (75 ml) water 1/3 cup (75 ml) whole milk 4 tbsp (60 g) unsalted butter, cubed 1 tsp (5 g) granulated sugar 1/4 tsp (1 g) fine salt 3/4 cup (90 g) bread flour (strong flour), sifted 3 large eggs (about 150 g), beaten 6–8 cups (1.5–2 l) sunflower or canola oil, for frying
FOR THE LIMONCELLO DIPLOMAT CREAM: 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold heavy cream 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) limoncello
FOR THE LEMON GLAZE: 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted 1 1/2–2 tbsp (22–30 ml) fresh lemon juice Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
EQUIPMENT: Deep, heavy saucepan or deep-fryer Deep-fry or candy thermometer Medium saucepan and whisk Stand mixer or hand mixer Piping bag with a large open star or plain nozzle (about 1/2 inch / 1.2 cm) Second piping bag with a long filling (Bismarck) nozzle 10–12 squares of parchment paper, about 4 inches (10 cm), lightly oiled Tongs and a slotted spoon or spider Wire rack set over paper towels Small skewer or chopstick
Method
STEP 1: MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM
Heat the milk with the lemon zest until steaming, then cover and leave 10 minutes to infuse. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together until pale. Reheat the milk, pour it over the yolk mixture while whisking, then return everything to the pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles for a full minute. Off the heat, whisk in the butter. Press plastic wrap onto the surface and chill for at least 2 hours, until completely cold.
STEP 2: MAKE THE CHOUX PASTE
Bring the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a full rolling boil. Tip in the bread flour all at once and beat hard with a wooden spoon until the paste comes away from the pan in a smooth ball. Keep cooking and stirring for 1–2 minutes to dry it out. Transfer to the mixer bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs a little at a time until the paste is glossy and falls from the spoon in a thick V that holds its shape. Stop as soon as it reaches that point; you may not need all the egg.
STEP 3: PIPE THE RINGS
Spoon the paste into the piping bag fitted with the open star or plain nozzle. On each oiled parchment square, pipe a ring about 3 inches (7.5 cm) across, joining the ends neatly. Keep the thickness even, as thin sections brown before thick ones set inside. Rest the rings while the oil heats.
STEP 4: FRY THE CHOUX RINGS
Heat the oil in the deep saucepan to 340°F (170°C), checking with the thermometer. Lower two or three rings into the oil, paper side up. After about 30 seconds the paper will release; lift it out with tongs. Fry for 3–4 minutes per side, turning once or twice, until deep golden and crisp. Keep the oil between 335°F and 345°F (168–174°C) throughout. Lift out with the slotted spoon and drain on the wire rack. While still warm, pierce two or three small holes around the inner edge of each ring with the skewer to let steam escape. Repeat with the remaining rings and cool completely.
STEP 5: MAKE THE DIPLOMAT CREAM
Whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Beat the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream in two additions.
STEP 6: ADD THE LIMONCELLO
Fold in 1 tablespoon of limoncello and taste. Add the second tablespoon only if the liqueur is still hard to detect; do not exceed 2 tablespoons. The lemon flavor comes from the zest infused in the custard, so the limoncello should read as a warm, perfumed finish rather than the lead flavor.
STEP 7: FILL THE CHOUXNUTS
Spoon the diplomat cream into the piping bag fitted with the filling nozzle. Insert the nozzle into each hole in turn and fill until the ring feels heavy and cream just appears at the opening. Wipe away any excess.
STEP 8: GLAZE AND SERVE
Whisk the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick glaze that coats the back of a spoon. Dip the top of each chouxnut, let the excess drip off, and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Leave for 10 minutes to set, then serve the same day.
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Instructions
FOR THE PASTRY CREAM:
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup (60 g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp + 1 tsp (20 g) cornstarch
1 tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter
FOR THE CHOUX RINGS:
1/3 cup (75 ml) water
1/3 cup (75 ml) whole milk
4 tbsp (60 g) unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp (5 g) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp (1 g) fine salt
3/4 cup (90 g) bread flour (strong flour), sifted
3 large eggs (about 150 g), beaten
6–8 cups (1.5–2 l) sunflower or canola oil, for frying
FOR THE LIMONCELLO DIPLOMAT CREAM:
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold heavy cream
1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) limoncello
FOR THE LEMON GLAZE:
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2–2 tbsp (22–30 ml) fresh lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
EQUIPMENT:
Deep, heavy saucepan or deep-fryer
Deep-fry or candy thermometer
Medium saucepan and whisk
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Piping bag with a large open star or plain nozzle (about 1/2 inch / 1.2 cm)
Second piping bag with a long filling (Bismarck) nozzle
10–12 squares of parchment paper, about 4 inches (10 cm), lightly oiled
Tongs and a slotted spoon or spider
Wire rack set over paper towels
Small skewer or chopstick
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM
Heat the milk with the lemon zest until steaming, then cover and leave 10 minutes to infuse. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together until pale. Reheat the milk, pour it over the yolk mixture while whisking, then return everything to the pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles for a full minute. Off the heat, whisk in the butter. Press plastic wrap onto the surface and chill for at least 2 hours, until completely cold.
STEP 2: MAKE THE CHOUX PASTE
Bring the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a full rolling boil. Tip in the bread flour all at once and beat hard with a wooden spoon until the paste comes away from the pan in a smooth ball. Keep cooking and stirring for 1–2 minutes to dry it out. Transfer to the mixer bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs a little at a time until the paste is glossy and falls from the spoon in a thick V that holds its shape. Stop as soon as it reaches that point; you may not need all the egg.
STEP 3: PIPE THE RINGS
Spoon the paste into the piping bag fitted with the open star or plain nozzle. On each oiled parchment square, pipe a ring about 3 inches (7.5 cm) across, joining the ends neatly. Keep the thickness even, as thin sections brown before thick ones set inside. Rest the rings while the oil heats.
STEP 4: FRY THE CHOUX RINGS
Heat the oil in the deep saucepan to 340°F (170°C), checking with the thermometer. Lower two or three rings into the oil, paper side up. After about 30 seconds the paper will release; lift it out with tongs. Fry for 3–4 minutes per side, turning once or twice, until deep golden and crisp. Keep the oil between 335°F and 345°F (168–174°C) throughout. Lift out with the slotted spoon and drain on the wire rack. While still warm, pierce two or three small holes around the inner edge of each ring with the skewer to let steam escape. Repeat with the remaining rings and cool completely.
STEP 5: MAKE THE DIPLOMAT CREAM
Whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Beat the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream in two additions.
STEP 6: ADD THE LIMONCELLO
Fold in 1 tablespoon of limoncello and taste. Add the second tablespoon only if the liqueur is still hard to detect; do not exceed 2 tablespoons. The lemon flavor comes from the zest infused in the custard, so the limoncello should read as a warm, perfumed finish rather than the lead flavor.
STEP 7: FILL THE CHOUXNUTS
Spoon the diplomat cream into the piping bag fitted with the filling nozzle. Insert the nozzle into each hole in turn and fill until the ring feels heavy and cream just appears at the opening. Wipe away any excess.
STEP 8: GLAZE AND SERVE
Whisk the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick glaze that coats the back of a spoon. Dip the top of each chouxnut, let the excess drip off, and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Leave for 10 minutes to set, then serve the same day.
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