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Gateau st. honoré

Eric Lanlard from Great Food Live
Eric Lanlard's classic French pyramid of profiteroles makes an impressive festive dessert and looks great on a buffet table

Gateau st. honoré

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6.

2. First make the choux pastry. Heat the water and milk together in a saucepan to boiling point, add the butter a piece at a time and stir until melted. Remove the pan from direct heat and whisk in the flour. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the dough stops sticking to the side of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat again and beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing each egg in thoroughly. Set aside and cover with cling film.

3. Roll out the puff pastry to a thickness of no more than 3mm, then cut out a pastry disc 25cm in diameter. Use a fork to make a hole in the centre of the disc. Place the pastry disc on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.
4.
Place the choux pastry in a piping bag with a smooth nozzle. Pipe small crowns of choux pastry around the edge of the disc, and pipe a large spiral in the centre.

5. On a separate lined baking sheet, pipe the remaining choux pastry to make a batch of 5cm profiteroles. Bake the pastry and profiteroles for 30 minutes in the hot oven until golden and risen.

6. Meanwhile, place the caster sugar in a heavy-based saucepan. Heat the sugar until it dissolves, then bring to the boil without stirring and cook until the mixture caramelises, turning a light golden colour.

7. Dip the freshly baked profiteroles in the liquid caramel, then invert them and place them on a lined baking sheet to cool. Meanwhile, gently fold the whipped cream and crème patissière together and mix in the Grand Marnier if using.

8. With a piping bag, use some of the whipped cream mixture to fill the profiteroles, and fill the main cake with the remainder. Place the caramel-glazed profiteroles around the diameter of the pastry disc, reserving 3 for the centre.