“Choux pastry is the standard test of a good pastry chef, and much of its success relies on the quality of the oven,” says Bennett. “The Miele ‘moisture plus’ function certainly helps here. Nice is heaven on earth for pistachio lovers – you can buy them fresh, roasted in the shell and in paste form from any reasonable fruit shop. Combine crisp choux buns with pistachio cream, lemon zest and fresh strawberries for the ultimate pastry pleasure.”
Ingredients
Choux pastries
Pistachio cream
Method
Main
1.Preheat the oven on the conventional setting to 170C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2.To make the choux pastry, combine the water, butter and a pinch of sea salt in a large heavy-based saucepan over low heat (or induction setting 2) until the butter has melted. Increase heat to medium-high (or induction setting 7) until the mixture boils, stirring occasionally. When the mixture comes to the boil, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
3.Return the pan to medium heat (or induction 5) for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes together and starts to leave the side of the pan. Transfer the dough to an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix for a few minutes until the dough is no longer steaming hot, but is still warm.
4.Gradually add the egg, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the side of the bowl to ensure the dough is silky, smooth and uniform. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle and pipe your desired shapes onto the prepared baking trays. Immediately sprinkle with the crushed hazelnuts and bake until golden (20-30 minutes). Remove from the oven and cool completely on the trays.
5.Meanwhile, to make the pistachio cream, scatter the pistachios and almonds into a dry frying pan and roast over medium heat for 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on them – they burn easily. Transfer the warm nuts to a food processor and blitz to form a smooth paste (scrape down the side of the bowl as needed). Set aside to cool in a mixing bowl.
6.Once the nut paste is cool, lightly whip the cream and sugar together to ribbon stage. Gently fold a third of the cream into the nut paste, then gently fold in the rest. Cover and store in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
7.Finely grate lemon zest over the pastries and serve with strawberries and pistachio cream.
Note This recipe is from Cooking All Over the World ($45, hbk), published by Lantern for Miele and is available exclusively from the Miele online shop from November 2014. It has been reproduced with minor GT style changes.
Notes
