Elegant and feminine these make a beautiful late morning or afternoon treat with a cup of tea. I love serving these to my friends as they always get a ‘Wow’ reaction from the taste and their attractive appearance.

The white chocolate cream is such an amazing recipe that I use time and time again. I favour it for its richness, flavour and the fact it has a longer shelf life than a cream using pastry cream (and therefore eggs). It is super easy and also versatile as it can be whipped and flavoured many ways, the rose shown here is just one example.

Recipe makes 10 choux bunx

Components

Baked choux bun

Raspberry jam

Fresh raspberries

Lychee pieces, fresh or drained tinned

White chocolate & rose cream

Icing sugar

Crystallised rose petals

Freeze dried raspberries

Baked Choux Bun

160ml Water, cold

75g Butter, cold diced

15g Caster sugar

5g Salt

20g Skimmed milk powder

90g Plain flour, sieved

3 Eggs, medium

1. Spray a baking tray lightly with canola oil and lay a sheet of baking paper on top to stick. Smooth the paper flat and preheat the oven to 190°
2. Combine the cold water, butter, salt and sugar in a large saucepan and boil over a high heat.
3. Add the milk powder and whisk in while boiling to dissolve.
4. Turn the heat down to medium and dump the sieved flour in one go while stirring with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Continue to cook and stir for around two minutes until the mixture comes together to form a ball and forms a slight skin at the base of the pot.
5. Transfer the dough into a mixer and mix on medium-low speed using a paddle for about 30 seconds to cool off slightly.
6. Add the eggs one at a time ensuring it has been fully incorporated before adding the next.
7. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large plain piping nozzle. Pipe 10 equal sized bulbs evenly spaced apart on the lined baking tray. Each bulb should weigh around 45g.
8. Use your finger wetted with cold water to smooth the tops of each bun to ensure they are even, and all look the same.
9. The buns can now be baked immediately, rested in the fridge or even frozen for later use.
10. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Do not open the door while baking as this may cause a collapse in your pastry. Turn the oven temperature down to 160°C and bake for a further 20 minutes.
11. Turn the oven off completely and keep the buns still in the oven to dry out for a further 20 minutes. Remove the buns from the oven and place them onto a wire rack to cool completely before filling.

* Freeze the buns unbaked on the tray for four hours until completely hard and then store them covered in a plastic container. When needed remove them from the oven and place them onto a lined baking tray, allow them to defrost at room temperature for an hour before following the baking instructions in the recipe.

White Chocolate & Rose Cream

80ml Cream (A)

120g White chocolate, melted

1 Vanilla pod, seeds scraped

160ml Cream (B)

35ml Rose water

1. In a saucepan, heat the cream (A) and pour onto the chocolate and vanilla. Leave to sit for 30 seconds before stirring well with a spatula to combine.
2. Add the cold cream and stir in. Transfer the mix to a covered container and place in the fridge for a minimum of an hour before use.
3. Whisk up the cream to thick ribbon using a machine or hand whisk and add the rose water. Be careful not to over whip this cream as it can separate quickly.
4. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a large, fluted nozzle.

Crystallised Rose Petals

30 Rose petals, edible unsprayed

1 Egg white

50ml Rose water

1g (½) Gelatine, Gold Leaf

as needed Caster sugar

1. Soak the gelatine in cold water for a minute to soften.
2. Heat the rosewater in the microwave and add the soaked half of gelatine to dissolve.
3. Whisk the egg white by hand in a bowl and slowly incorporate the rose gelatine preparation.
4. Whisk until the mixture froths and then brush this mixture delicately onto a rose petal ensuring it is fully covered but not drenched. Toss the petal in the sugar and shake to cover completely. Remove the petal and place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
5. Repeat with the remaining petals and place the completed tray on a windowsill or a warm place for a couple of hours to crystallise.
6. Store the dried petals in a covered dry container until needed.

Assembly

1. Pick up each baked bun and dip the bottom half into the cold melted white chocolate and shake off the excess. Place each bun onto a tray lined with baking paper. Complete all 10 buns.
2. Cut each of the choux buns in half horizontally and spoon a teaspoon of raspberry jam into the base of each bottom half of choux.
3. Arrange five or six fresh raspberries on top of the jam and then add pieces of lychee to the buns.
4. Pipe the rose flavoured white chocolate cream evenly in a rosette shape into all of the buns on top of the fruit.
5. Lightly dust the top of each top half of choux buns with icing sugar and place them on top of the cream.
6. Serve with crystallised rose petals on each bun and a dusting of freeze-dried raspberry.