Chocolate and Raspberry Choux Wreath Recipe

Ingredients

• 85g strong bread flour, sifted
• pinch salt
• pinch caster sugar
• 85g unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 300ml double cream
• 1½tbsp icing-sugar
• ¼tsp vanilla extract
• 200g raspberries
• 100g dark chocolate, finely chopped

You will need:

• 2 baking sheets lined with baking parchment (draw an 18cm circle on each)
• piping bag fitted with a star nozzle

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C, gas 6. Sift the flour with the sugar and salt into a bowl, set aside.
2. Gently heat the butter along with 185ml water in a heavy based saucepan until melted. Increase the heat, just as it reaches boiling point remove from the heat and mix in the flour in one go. Beat with a wooden spoon until a smooth paste is formed. Place the pan back over the heat and continue to beat for 2 minutes or until it form a ball and comes away from sides. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Gradually beat in the egg, mixing well after each addition (you can use an electric hand whisk). Remove the mixture to the piping bag and pipe roses all the way around the drawn circle, then a layer of smaller roses on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven, make 4 evenly spaced indentations with a skewer around the edges of the to let the air out then let it cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Carefully and evenly slice the top half off the choux ring, set aside.
5. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks are just formed, fold in the raspberries, mix gently until it holds it’s shape. Spoon onto the base of the choux ring, and replace the top. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl, pour over 40ml boiling water and leave to melt. It might need a few seconds in the microwave to help it along, mix until smooth then pour over the ring immediately.