Berry Pavlova Choux

A choux bun with a berry mousse and berry compote swirl, topped with mascarpone cream and mini meringues. 

Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER

Recipe makes approximately 12 choux.

MINI MERINGUES
1 EGG WHITE
50G SUGAR
1 TEASPOON FREEZE DRIED BLACKCURRANT POWDER
1 TEASPOON FREEZE DRIED RASPBERRY POWDER

Preheat your oven to 90c, without the fan if possible. Make a meringue by whisking the egg white in a bowl with an electric whisk until doubled in size. Add in the sugar and continue to whip until your meringue forms stiff peaks. Split your meringue into 3 separate bowls. Whisk the freeze dried raspberry powder into one bowl, the freeze dried blackcurrant powder in another bowl and keep the final bowl plain. Use 3 piping bags with 4 different nozzle shapes to pipe out mini kisses of meringue onto your baking paper. Bake for 2 hours, or until the meringues are dry and crisp. Store for up to one week in an airtight container. 

CRAQUELIN
40G BUTTER
40G BROWN SUGAR
30G FLOUR

Mix everything together in a small bowl, using your hands to squish all the ingredients together, until a smooth dough forms. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper, to 1-2mm thin and freeze. Once frozen use a 4.5cm cutter to cut out rounds of craquelin. Store the craquelin rounds in the freezer while you make your choux pastry. 

CHOUX PASTRY
30G WATER
40G MILK
30G BUTTER
40G FLOUR
1-2 EGGS

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a tray with baking paper. In a small pot bring the milk, water and butter to a rolling boil. Immediately remove from the heat and add in the flour in one go. Mix thoroughly before returning to a low heat, cooking for 30 seconds to 1 minute until you have a ball of dough with a skin forming on the base. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool while you whisk your eggs in a small bowl. Start to add in the eggs, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a smooth mixture at a dropping consistency. Spoon the choux mixture into a piping bag and cut a 1cm hole in the tip. Pipe the choux into 4cm rounds and top with your craquelin discs. Bake for 15-25 minutes until your choux is a deep golden brown. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN FOR THE FIRST 15 MINUTES OR YOUR CHOUX MIGHT DEFLATE.
Baked choux can be frozen in an airtight container and defrosted for 2-3 minutes in a hot oven (150-180c)

BERRY COMPOTE
60G RASPBERRIES
60G BLUEBERRIES
¼ TSP VANILLA BEAN PASTE
20G SUGAR
¼ TSP CORNFLOUR

Mix the raspberries, blueberries and vanilla bean paste together in a small pot. Cook over a low heat, squishing the berries to help them break down. Whisk the sugar and cornflour together, then stir this into the berries. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until your compote has reached a thick, jammy consistency. Allow to cool and store in the fridge for up to one week before using. 

STRAWBERRY MOUSSE
¾ TSP POWDERED GELATINE
1 ½ TSP COLD WATER
15G SUGAR
150G STRAWBERRY PUREE
150G CREAM

Place the gelatine and cold water together in a pot. Allow to soak for a couple of minutes to bloom the gelatine. Add in the sugar and a quarter of the strawberry puree. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatine is fully melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining strawberry puree. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool to about 30c. In a bowl, whip your cream to medium peaks. Fold your cream into your cooled puree until just combined. Pour into a piping bag. Use immediately to fill your choux. 

TO FILL YOUR CHOUX
150G FRESH STRAWBERRIES

Dice your strawberries into a 1cm dice. Use a knife to cut the tops off of your choux so that you have a 2-3cm hole on the tops to fill them with. Fill the choux ¾ full with strawberry mousse, followed by a teaspoon of berry compote and a teaspoon of diced strawberries. Chill your choux for at least an hour and up to overnight before finishing them. 

TO FINISH
100G MASCARPONE CREAM
150G CREAM
15G ICING SUGAR
¼ TSP VANILLA BEAN PASTE

Whip everything together to form a stiff peaked cream. Spoon the cream into a piping bag and cut a 2cm hole in the tip. Pipe a kiss of cream on top of each choux, covering the hole you made earlier. Just before serving decorate the kisses of cream with your mini meringues.

Recipe by Maxine Scheckter, the creative force behind Sugar Flour pastry school. 

Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER