Ingredients

Makes 6 choux rings

• 75g bakers or strong white flour
• 112ml water
• Pinch of salt
• 50g butter, finely diced
• 2-3 eggs, depending on size
• A little egg wash
• 6 teaspoons flaked almonds

Method

1. Sieve the flour into a bowl ready to add to the mixture with ease and speed. Place the water, salt and butter in a small saucepan and allowing the butter to fully melt, bring to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and add all of the flour. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together.
2. Replace the saucepan on a low heat and stir until the bottom of the saucepan looks somewhat "furry". Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Add in 1 egg and beat well until the mixture comes back to its original consistency. Beat the second egg before adding most of it to the mixture. Continue beating and adding small amounts of beaten egg as you need to achieve a consistency that will drop in hesitating shards from the upheld wooden spoon. It may be necessary to use some of the third egg, previously beaten. The final additions of beaten egg may be in teaspoon amount increments.
4. By now the mixture will be completely smooth and a little shiny. The mixture may be used straight away or if reserving for later, rub the surface with a knob of butter to prevent a skin from forming and place in the fridge.
5. Preheat the oven to 210c
6. Place the choux pastry in a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain choux nosel. Cut a piece of baking parchment to fit your baking tray. My tray is a standard 40cm x33cm sized tray – perfect for the 6 choux rings required. Using a 6cm biscuit cutter, and a pencil, draw 6 x 6cm outlines spaced evenly apart on to the paper and them reverse the paper so that the pencil marks do not mark the choux when cooking.
7. Carefully pipe 6 rings of choux, using the pencil marks as a guide. Brush the tops of the choux rings with a little egg wash and place the flaked almonds on the surface of each ring.
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 180c and bake for c 15 minutes until crisp and golden. Do not open the oven door while the choux is cooking or they are likely to collapse. Remove the tray from the oven and pierce each pastry with a skewer or thin bladed knife to allow excess steam to escape. Replace in the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes ensuring all are crisp, well coloured and dry.
9. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool. The cooked choux rings will sit happily at room temperature for up to 6 hours before filling.