CHOCOLATE, GINGER AND ORANGE PROFITEROLES

Ingredients: Makes 36

The choux pastry buns:

• 150g plain flour
• 100g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 5 large eggs
• ½ tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp milk (if needed)

The filling:

• 450ml double cream
• Thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
• Zest of one orange
• 3 tbsp icing sugar

The topping

• 200g of dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)
• 50g crystallised ginger, finely chopped
• Extra orange zest

Method:

1. To make the choux pastry buns, place the butter and 150ml water in a saucepan set over a medium heat. 
2. When the butter has melted turn up the heat and bring to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt then pour it into the boiling butter/water mixture. 
4. Beat strongly with a wooden spoon until the mix clumps together to form a ball that fully comes away from the sides of the pan.
5. Tip the dough into a mixing bowl and use the spoon to spread it up the sides (to help it cool). 
6. Leave to cool to room temperature and set your oven to 200°C (fan).
7. Once the dough has cooled, add four of the large eggs, beaten, little by little.
8. The mix will look as though it’s about to split but it will come back together after beating. 
9. You might not need all the eggs or you might have to add an extra splash of milk to reach dropping consistency (this is when the mix drops easily from the end of a wooden spoon).
10. Transfer the choux mixture to the piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle, then pipe 18 buns, each a little larger than a 50p coin with a depth of roughly 3cm, onto each of the prepared baking sheets, spaced at least 3cm apart, repeat this on the second tray so you have 36 in total.
11. Beat another egg, and using your finger, brush a little of the beaten egg over each one to smooth out any peaks. 
12. Bake for 20 minutes, then lift up the profiteroles and use a skewer to poke a small hole in the bottom of each one to let out the steam. Bake for 2-3 minutes more until golden and crisp. 
13. Cool on a wire rack.
14. To make the filling, place the double cream, grated ginger and orange zest in a large mixing bowl, sift over the icing sugar, then whisk to soft peaks using an electric hand mixer.
15. Put the cream into the piping bag fitted with the small nozzle, then fill each choux bun.
16. Just before serving, melt the dark chocolate in a small heatproof bowl.
17. Stack your profiteroles on a serving dish (3-5 per portion) then drizzle over the chocolate, add a little crystallised ginger and a little orange zest.