Recipes

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and draw 4 circles, about 10cm across, on the underside of the paper.

To make the choux- sift the flour onto a sheet of baking parchment. Put the water, milk, salt, sugar and butter in a pan and bring slowly to the boil over a medium heat, until the butter has just melted.

When the water is bubbling, remove quickly from the heat, tip in the flour all at once and beat vigorously until it forms a dough that leaves the side of the pan clean.

Return to the heat and cook for at least five minutes.

Leave to cool slightly, then gradually beat in the lightly beaten eggs, beating well between each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy.

Spoon the dough into a piping bag and snip a generous hole.

Pipe 4 thick rings onto the lined baking sheet, using the circles as a guide and piping the rings in one motion.

Lightly brush the top of the choux with egg wash, then sprinkle over flaked almonds.

Bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes then reduce the heat to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4 and bake the choux for a further 10 minutes until they are well risen and golden.

Once baked, remove from the oven and immediately slice the rings in half horizontally and return to the oven to dry out for approximately 3–4 minutes.

For the filling, pour the cream into a large mixing bowl, add the vanilla, orange zest, icing sugar and lemon juice, and whip the cream to soft peaks. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.

Spread the preserve over the bottom halves of the choux rings, then pipe a generous amount of cream in a circular motion over the top and place the choux lids on top.

Dust with icing sugar and serve.