Choux Pastry Ring

I must admit, I had always thought that choux pastry was really hard to make, but I promise it isn't, and it's definitely worth a go.

You will need -

Half a pint of water

4oz butter or margarine

5oz plain flour (preferably bread flour)

3-4 free range eggs (beaten)

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

Preheat oven to 200C

Put the water, sugar, salt and fat in saucepan and bring to the boil.

Remove from heat, add the sieved flour and mix in with a wooden spoon.

Return to a moderate heat and stir continuously until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool - this is the really important bit, because if it is too hot it won't work.

When cool, gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well. The mixture should resemble a paste.

At this point you could shape the mixture into eclair or profiterole shapes, but as the cake was for a special occasion I decided to make a ring.

To create a ring, oil a baking tray and place large spoonfuls of the paste on to the tray in a circle shape. The spoonfuls need to be close to each other but not quite touching.

Place in a hot oven (200C) for 20-30 mins.

Allow to cool and then cut the choux pastry ring in half. Fill with whipped cream, placing the top of pastry ring back on top.

Top off with melted chocolate or icing, whichever you prefer. There should be plenty for 4-6 people.

Enjoy!