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Chocolate croquembouche

Mary Berry from Great Food Live
For a sensational sweet centrepiece, Mary Berry prepares a stack of choux buns filled with whipped cream and coated in chocolate

Chocolate croquembouche

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 8.

2. For the choux pastry, place the butter and water in a saucepan over a low heat. Bring to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted.

3. Remove from the heat and immediately add the flour, beating with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes a soft ball and leaves the sides of the saucepan.

4. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, gradually beat in the eggs until the mixture is glossy.

5. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag, fitted with a one centimetre plain nozzle. Pipe 24 even rounds onto greased baking sheets, leaving enough room between each one for the buns to spread a little.

6. Bake for about 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 190C/gas 5.

7. Bake for a further five minutes, until golden brown, well risen and crisp. Turn the oven off. Make a small hole into the side of each choux, and place back on the baking sheet. Return to the oven (with the heat turned off) for about 30 minutes to dry out. Leave to cool.

8. Spoon two thirds of the whipped cream into clean piping bag, fitted with a very small nozzle and pipe the cream into the holes in the side of the buns.

9. To make the sauce, add the chocolate and cream to a bowl, and gently melt over pan of gently simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is shiny.

10. Spread a little of the remaining whipped cream, in a circular shape, on a flat plate. Arrange 10 buns in a circle, sticking them to one another with a little more cream.

11. On the next layer, arrange seven buns for the next layer.

12. Arrange five for the next layer, using more cream to stick together.

13. For the remaining two buns, remove the bases and stick on top.

14. Carefully pour over the chocolate sauce and serve dusted with icing sugar and decorated with fresh flowers.