Check out our latest magazine... Read Online

Recipe: Choux Hearts with Berries

Celebrity MasterChef contestant Lisa Faulkner knows full well that food is the language of love. So, what better way to woo your beloved on Valentine’s Day than with these stunning choux hearts?

MAKES: 8 Hearts

OPTIONAL Top Tip:

If berries aren’t your thing use whatever fruit you prefer… mango and passion fruit, for example.

INGREDIENTS

For the choux pastry

90g (3oz) butter

360ml (10½fl oz) water

pinch salt

pinch sugar

110g (4oz) plain flour, sifted

3 whole eggs, beaten well

To serve:

500ml (17½fl oz) double cream

400g (14oz) mixed fresh berries

 

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put the butter and water in a medium saucepan, add the salt and sugar, and bring to the boil. Ensure the butter is melted.

2. Remove from the heat, add the sifted flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Return to the heat and cook for 2 minutes until the paste is pale. Cool a little.

3. Add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, incorporating fully with a wooden spoon after each addition. The mixture will go glossy then back to dull. Add the eggs until the mixture is shiny again and it just drops off the wooden spoon.

4. Cool the mixture for about 10 minutes. Put in a piping bag and pipe heart shapes on to a baking sheet dampened with a little water.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes then reduce the temperature to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3, and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until golden.

6. Pour the cream into a chilled bowl and whisk, either by hand or with a hand mixer, until stiff peaks form. This may take a few minutes. Be careful not to overwhip your cream. As soon as you have firm peaks you should stop.

7. When cooked, turn the hearts over and pop back into the oven for 2 minutes to dry out a little. Split each heart in half horizontally and then spoon or pipe the whipped cream on the base. Top with the other half and fill the centre with the fruit. Serve immediately.

More from Food and Drink

  • Recipe: Simple Fish Curry

    Cooking a curry from scratch can feel a little daunting but this traditional Burmese recipe is really easy. Lightly spiced, warming and stunningly simple, this curry is one you’ll return to again and again

  • Recipe: Easter Leg of Lamb

    When it comes to Easter feasts, you can always look to Italy for a sublime celebration of food, family and faith. This Easter leg of lamb with an Italian twist is the perfect dish to serve to your brood over the bank holiday

  • Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Buttercups

    The dreamy combination of chocolate and peanut butter is indulgent and decadent so the perfect treat for Easter. These little beauties contain only a few ingredients (with a vegan option) and are quick and super easy to make

  • Recipe: Prune and Orange Hot Cross Buns

    As a master baker and judge of ITV’s Britain’s Best Bakery, Peter Sidwell knows a thing or two about hot cross buns, as this fragrant and delicious recipe testifies.

  • Kids Zone: Giant Pancakes

    Batter up! It’s time for some pancakes fun and flips with Sara Whatley’s easy-peasy giant pancakes!

  • Recipe: Truffled Macaroni & Smoked Haddock Bake

    Want something that combines supreme comfort with a little decadence? Well look no further than this divine truffled macaroni dish with an extra boost from smoked haddock

  • Recipe: Nigel Slater's Lamb Hotpot

    We’re getting to that time of the year when rustic food comes packed with extra appeal.

  • Ever So Easy Beef Bourguignon

    This simple recipe by Adele Trathan virtually cooks itself, but it is deliciously succulent and flavoursome. It’s ideal for a wholesome meal when you don’t want to be slaving over a hot stove

  • Recipe: Chinese-Style Glazed Pork Belly

    This Sunday (22nd) marks Chinese New Year. So we’re tucking in to a traditional Chinese dish, to celebrate the year of the rabbit!

  • How to make wild garlic and cheddar scones

    This savoury scone recipe from Mary Goodsell works perfectly alongside a bowl of hearty soup, or simply with salty butter and a smear of marmite.

  • Very healthy no-bake chewy breakfast bars

    Mary Goodsell believes that healthy food should always taste delicious, and these no-bake chewy date bars are the perfect breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up to ensure you stay full and satisfied throughout the day.

  • An immune boosting recipe for homemade ginger shots

    Boost your immunity, digestion and get a good dose of antioxidants first thing in the morning with super easy homemade ginger shots by Mary Goodsell. These little shots of goodness can cost a fortune in the supermarkets, but they are really cheap and easy to make at home.

  • Recipe: Roasted Turkey Legs with Cranberries and Oranges

    If you fancy something a little different on Christmas Day and don’t want to be bothered with cooking a whole turkey, this one-pot twist by Mary Goodwell is a vibrant, zesty dish that will delight your guests.

  • Festive Christmas Pudding Recipe: Stir Up Sunday

    Stir-up Sunday is a Victorian tradition where the family would gather together to stir the Christmas pudding five weeks before Christmas, or the last Sunday before advent begins. This recipe, by Mary Goodsell, is a family favourite which evokes fond nostalgic memories.

  • Festive recipe: Cheesy pigs in blankets

    Now, pigs in blankets are good. But pigs in CHEESY blankets reach another level!

  • A recipe kids will love: Decorated Christmas biscuits

    Mary Goodsell loves the nostalgic smells of homemade gingerbread biscuits and this is the perfect family-friendly recipe to make at home.

  • Is moderation the answer? Sara Whatley discusses the merits of a non alcoholic Christmas

    Whether you are enjoying an alcoholic beverage or a temperance drink this Christmas, the key to drinking well is moderation, suggests Sara Whatley

  • 'Ever So Easy' Beef Bourguignon Recipe

    This simple recipe by Adele Trathan virtually cooks itself, but it is deliciously succulent and flavoursome. It’s ideal for a wholesome meal when you don’t want to be slaving over a hot stove.

  • Coffee & Chocolate Banana Bread

    This recipe by Mary Goodsell takes banana bread to a new level with the added flavours of chocolate and coffee. Soft and moist, it's a delicious mid-morning snack with a cup of coffee.

  • Smoked Haddock & Asparagus Risotto

    This deliciously warming dish by Mary Goodsell is perfect for the autumn months. This is an easy to throw-together risotto that works equally well using leeks, if you would prefer to use more seasonal ingredients.