Description
Mary’s Christmas choux wreath is an impressive festive dessert featuring delicate choux buns filled with spiced crème pâtissière, layered into two circles and topped with caramel-coated hazelnuts, chocolate snowflakes, and a luscious milk chocolate ganache drizzle. This showstopper combines classic French pastry techniques with seasonal flavors and stunning presentation, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Choux Buns
- 110g/3¾oz butter, cubed
- 130g/4¾oz plain flour, sifted
- 4 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
For the Crème Pâtissière
- 600ml/20fl oz full-fat milk
- 6 free-range egg yolks
- 75g/2¾oz caster sugar
- 50g/1¾oz cornflour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 100g/3½oz milk chocolate, 46% minimum cocoa solids
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
For the Chocolate Snowflakes
- 100g/3½oz white chocolate, melted
For the Caramel
- 200g/7oz caster sugar
- Red food colouring paste
- 12 blanched hazelnuts
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Line three baking sheets with baking parchment to prevent sticking.
- Make the Choux Pastry: In a heavy saucepan, melt the cubed butter in 250ml/9fl oz water over medium heat. Once melted, bring to a boil carefully without burning. Remove from heat; quickly add sifted flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a soft ball. Return to low heat and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring constantly to dry the mixture slightly. Let it cool slightly.
- Incorporate Eggs: Transfer mixture to a mixer bowl with whisk attachment or use a hand mixer. Gradually whisk in the beaten eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next, until smooth and shiny paste forms. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1½cm/¾in plain nozzle with the choux mixture.
- Pipe and Bake Choux Buns: Pipe twelve small mounds of mixture onto each baking sheet (total 36). Dip finger in water to smooth tops gently. Bake for 10 minutes at 200C, then reduce oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5 and bake an additional 10 minutes until golden brown. Pierce each bun with a skewer to release steam, return to oven for 5 minutes to dry out. Cool on wire rack.
- Prepare Crème Pâtissière: Heat milk in a heavy-based pan to boiling, then remove and let cool for 30 seconds. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with caster sugar until pale. Add cornflour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, whisk to combine. Gradually pour warm milk into egg mixture, whisking continuously, then return to pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until thick and boiling for 1 minute. Remove from heat, transfer to bowl, cover surface with cling film and cool.
- Make Chocolate Ganache: Break milk chocolate into heatproof bowl. Heat double cream until simmering, pour over chocolate and stir until smooth. Cool until thick enough to drizzle.
- Create Chocolate Snowflakes: Spoon melted white chocolate into a small piping bag fitted with writing nozzle. Pipe 12 snowflake shapes onto baking parchment and let set.
- Fill Choux Buns: Whip double cream to soft peaks then fold into cooled crème pâtissière. Fill a piping bag with this mixture and pipe into cooled choux buns.
- Make Caramel: In a pan, boil caster sugar with 5 tablespoons water until golden or 170C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from heat, plunge pan briefly into cold water to thicken slightly but keep caramel liquid.
- Assemble Wreath Base: On a cooling rack or flat surface, arrange 14 choux buns in a circle, all touching. Place 10 buns inside circle creating a second smaller circle. Dip one side of each bun into caramel and stick to the adjacent bun, forming a strong bond. Continue until both circles are joined.
- Top the Wreath: Dip bases of remaining 12 buns in caramel and place on top of the double circle wreath to complete the shape.
- Prepare Garnishes: Line a baking sheet with silicone paper. Reheat caramel gently, add small amount of red food colouring paste, then stir in hazelnuts. Remove hazelnuts with fork or spoon and place individually on the silicone paper to cool and harden.
- Decorate and Serve: Drizzle one quarter of the chocolate ganache over the assembled wreath. Transfer to serving plate and decorate with white chocolate snowflakes and caramel-coated hazelnuts. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Be cautious when handling boiling sugar caramel as it is extremely hot and can cause burns.
- Ensuring steam escapes from the choux buns during baking prevents sogginess inside.
- The spices in the crème pâtissière add a festive warmth, adjust to taste if desired.
- Work quickly when assembling with caramel as it hardens fast.
- Use fresh eggs and quality chocolate for best flavor and texture.
- This recipe yields a centerpiece dessert that serves 12, perfect for holiday gatherings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/12th of wreath)
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
