Profiteroles al limone

Preparation method

1. For the lemon pastry cream, pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the vanilla pod. Scald the milk by bringing it almost to the boil over a medium heat.

2. While the milk is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl until thick and pale then stir in the flour until well combined. Very slowly pour the hot milk onto the mixture, stirring all the time, until it's all incorporated, then pour the mixture back into the pan.

3. Return the mixture to a medium heat and stir gently but constantly with a wooden spoon for five minutes or until the pastry cream has thickened to the consistency of thick cream. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest.

4. Remove the vanilla pod and pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming then set aside to cool.

5. For the choux pastry, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. Butter two large baking sheets.

6. Pour 250ml/9fI oz of cold water into a heavy-based saucepan then add the butter, salt and sugar. Place over a medium-high heat and bring to a vigorous boil. Remove from the heat and immediately tip in the flour, all in one go, and beat the mixture energetically until the mixture is smooth and glossy and comes away cleanly from the sides of the pan.

   Technique: Making choux pastry

7. Cool slightly for 1-2 minutes then beat in the eggs, one-at-a-time, until the mixture has a smooth dropping consistency.

8. Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture (or pipe using a piping bag) onto the baking sheets, leaving plenty of room between each one to allow them to double in size during cooking. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed up and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a minute or two.

9. Taking care in case the buns still have steam inside, turn the choux buns upside down and pierce a small hole in the bottom of each one using the tip of a small, sharp knife.

10. Return to the oven, hole-side-up, for five minutes or until crisp then remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

11. Fill a piping bag fitted with a medium nozzle with the cold lemon pastry cream and, when the choux buns are completely cold, insert the nozzle into the hole of each bun and fill with the cream.

12. Arrange the choux buns, hole-side-down, on a serving plate, dust with icing sugar and decorate with strawberries and sprigs of mint. Serve at once so they don’t become soggy.

Less than 30 mins preparation time

30 mins to 1 hour cooking time

Makes 20