Lisa Faulkner’s Choux Hearts With Berries

What better way to woo your beloved on Valentine’s Day, or to show your Mum some love for Mother’s Day, than with these stunning choux hearts?

Makes 8 hearts

For the choux pastry:

90g butter
360ml water
Pinch salt
Pinch sugar
110g plain flour, sifted
3 whole eggs, beaten well

To serve:

500ml double cream
400g mixed fresh berries

1   Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Put the butter and water in a medium saucepan, add the salt and sugar, and bring to the boil. Ensure the butter is melted. Remove from the heat, add the sifted flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Return to the heat and cook for 2 minutes until the paste is pale. Cool a little.

2   Add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, incorporating fully with a wooden spoon after each addition. The mixture will go glossy then back to dull. Add the eggs until the mixture is shiny again and it just drops off the wooden spoon. Cool the mixture for about 10 minutes. Put in a piping bag and pipe heart shapes on to a baking sheet dampened with a little water.

3   Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes then reduce the temperature to 160°C, gas mark 3, and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until golden.

4   Pour the cream into a chilled bowl and whisk, either by hand or with a hand mixer, until stiff peaks form. This may take a few minutes.

5   When cooked, turn the hearts over and pop back into the oven for 2 minutes to dry out a little. Split each heart in half horizontally and then spoon or pipe the whipped cream on the base. Top with the other half and fill the centre with the fruit. Serve immediately.

Top Tip

Be careful not to overwhip your cream. As soon as you have firm peaks (you should be able to hold the bowl over your head without it spilling out!) you should stop.

If berries aren’t your thing use whatever fruit you prefer… mango and passion fruit, for example.