Lemon profiteroles
SERVES 8
Preparation 50 minutes
Cooking 45 minutes
250ml cold water
125g unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
125g Italian 00 plain flour
4 large free-range eggs
for the lemon cream
375ml whole milk
Ŋ vanilla pod
3 large free-range egg yolks
125g caster sugar
45g Italian 00 plain flour
finely grated zest 2 unwaxed lemons
250ml double cream
To start the lemon cream, combine the milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan. Heat over a low heat until scalded (just up to boiling point). While the milk is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Add the flour and stir until it is completely dissolved. Slowly whisk a third of the scalded milk into the mixture. Add the remaining milk and blend thoroughly.
Pour the mixture back into the pan and return to the heat. Stir constantly until thickened. Turn off the heat, add the grated zest and stir for 1 minute. Remove the vanilla and pour into a bowl. Place a piece of parchment paper on top to stop a skin forming.
To make the profiteroles, preheat the oven to 220ēC/Gas Mark 7 and put two racks in the centre of the oven. Butter two large baking sheets. Combine the cold water, butter, sugar and salt in a pan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and melt the butter. As soon as it reaches a boil, take off the heat.
Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. When the flour is thoroughly blended, return the pan to the heat. Stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan, forming a dough ball. Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs, incorporating each thoroughly before adding the next.
Scrape the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round tip. Pipe 24 small mounds of dough 4cm in diameter and spaced 5cm apart on to the two baking sheets. Moisten your index finger with water and gently flatten the pointed peaks.
Place the baking sheets in the oven, staggered so that they are not on top of each other. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Reverse the position of the baking sheets after 15 minutes so the profiteroles bake evenly. Turn off the oven and cool the profiteroles thoroughly in the oven with the door slightly ajar.
Beat half the double cream until stiff. Stir into the lemon cream. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm plain tip. Cut a slip on the side of each profiterole and pipe in the cream. Lightly whip the rest of the cream and serve.
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