Strawberry Cream Circle

Fresh English strawberries abound now - here they are served in a crisp choux ring with their perfect accompaniment, whipped cream. Assemble just before serving.  Rose water is optional but it does give the cream a sophisticated flavour.

 

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

 

Choux pastry:

 

  • 115g (4 oz) butter
  • 250ml (½ pint) water
  • 140g (5 oz) strong plain flour
  • 4 eggs

Filling:

 

  • 300ml (½ pint) double cream
  • Rose water to taste (optional)
  • 1 punnet strawberries, sliced
  •  Icing sugar – to taste, as required

Decoration:

 

  • 25g (1 oz) melted dark chocolate to drizzle over

 

Method

 

Cut the butter up and place into a saucepan, pour over the water and place on the simmering plate to heat and melt the butter. As soon as the butter is melted transfer to the boiling plate and bring to the boil.

 

Remove from the heat and quickly add all the flour, beat well - themixture will come together to form a ball (a stand mixer makes life easier). Beat until the mixture cools down to a warm temperature (if you add the eggs when the paste is too hot they will cook and the pastry will not rise!). Beat in the eggs, one at a time – do not worry if the mixture separates when the egg is added - keep beating and it will form a paste again. Spoon the choux pastry into a circle on a piece of Bake-O-Glide placed on the cold plain shelf.

 

2, 3 and 4 oven AGA: Slide the cold plain shelf into the roasting oven on the lowest set of runners and cook for 20 minutes. Turn the shelf around and cook for a further 8-10 minutes. The choux ring will have risen and become golden brown. Remove from the oven and cut in half, return to the roasting oven to ensure the centre is cooked and crisp – about 5 minutes.

 

Place the halves of choux pastry onto a cooling rack. Whip the cream until it stands in soft peaks then fold in the rose water and strawberries. Taste to see if you want to add a little sugar.

 

Sandwich the choux pastry halves together with the strawberries and cream and decorate with drizzles of melted chocolate. Serve when the chocolate has set.

 

Conventional cooking: Cook at 220ºC (425ºF), fan oven 200ºC, Gas Mark 7 for 20 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 190ºC (375ºF), fan oven 170ºC, Gas Mark 5 for a further 10 minutes, or until crisp and dark golden brown.
 

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