Ingredients
Pastry
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
- 4 eggs plus 1 egg for egg wash
- 1/2 cup flaked almonds
Praline
- 2/3 cup hazelnuts
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Assembly
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Powdered sugar
- Sliced almonds
Steps
Pastry
- Make the choux pastry: Preheat oven to 340 degrees.
- In a saucepan, add water, milk, butter, sugar and salt.
- Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Add the flour and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon.
- Return the pan to the heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and let it cool for 2 minutes.
- Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, then add the pastry mix and whisk until smooth. Mixture should hold its shape when a finger is run through it.
- Transfer into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip.
- Pipe 6 large balls inside each donut ring, making sure they meet up fully in a circle.
- Brush the tops with egg wash, then bake for 25 minutes.
- Brush each pastry ring with egg wash again, then sprinkle with almonds.
- Bake for another 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool.
Praline
- Make the praline: Finely slice the hazelnuts and toast them for 5 minutes in a saucepan, then allow to cool.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan, add the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a fast boil, keeping watch over it until it turns a dark amber color.
- Remove from heat and stir in the toasted nuts, then pour onto the parchment paper and allow to cool.
- Once cool, blitz half of the praline to a fine powder in a spice grinder or food processor.
- Chop the remaining praline into small pieces and set aside.
Assembly
- To assemble: When the pastry is cool, cut each one into two pieces by slicing horizontally through the middle.
- Whip the cream to soft peaks then fold in the ground praline. Whip the cream again slightly, if needed, to bring it to a firm piping consistency, and transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Pipe rosettes of cream all around the bottom half of the pastry, then add a sprinkling of chopped pralines before adding the lid.
- Top with sliced almonds, dust with powdered sugar and serve.