Peanut Butter Choux Buns

Choux pastry is famous for being hard to get right but don't let this put you off trying. The key to success is weighing out all your ingredients in advance and make sure they are all ready before you start, because timing is crucial (this includes sifting the flour before you start).

Once you've made your pastry you're not restricted to buns you can use a piping bag to make éclairs or profiteroles. Although I personally think that buns are the easiest to make.

If peanuts aren't your thing or you want a more traditional choux bun, you can whip double cream until it forms peaks or is at a thick consistency and fill your buns with it.

Makes 10-12 buns. 

Ingredients:

For the choux pastry:

25g butter or margarine
125ml milk or water
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
75g strong plain white flour (sifted before you start)
A few drops of vanilla essence
2 eggs (beaten)

For the peanut butter cream:

140ml double cream
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp salted peanuts (chopped)

For the topping:

100g(ish) chocolate (I used dark, but use whatever variety you'd like!)

A handful of (salted) peanuts to decorate (chopped)

Method:

For the choux pastry:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (Gas 7)
2. Boil the liquid with the butter (or margarine), salt and sugar in a saucepan.
3. When it is boiling fast, take the saucepan off the heat and immediately add the flour. Beating it in with a wooden spoon until it is smooth and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Over beating might separate the mix.
4. Cool the mixture to blood heat (so that you don't scramble the eggs) and add the egg and vanilla essence and beat until the mixture is combined.
5. The mixture can now be piped or spooned into shape, to make the buns I like to spoon some mixture into a muffin tray - this helps the buns keep their size and shape it is also good if the mixture is slightly too runny (which in my experience doesn't make much difference)
6. Place the buns in the oven for 30/40 minutes or until risen and golden. Take out of the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the filling and topping:

1. Whip  the double cream, sugar and peanut butter together until it is thick and at a piping/filling consistency.
2. Fold in the chopped peanuts.
3. Using a knife cut along the middle of the cool choux bun cutting it just open enough to be filled but not all the way through. If the buns haven't risen completely there might be some mixture in the middle. This can be left in but I prefer to scoop it out to make way for filling.
4. Fill the choux bun with the peanut butter cream by piping or simply scooping it in.
5. Melt the chocolate either by using a microwave (melt in short bursts and stir in-between to avoid burning the chocolate) or  in a bowl over simmering water.
6. Dip the filled buns in the melted chocolate or drizzle it over the top and finish by sprinkling the chopped peanuts to decorate.
7. Let the chocolate set and enjoy!