Mint choc chip is the best ice-cream flavour ever – and I won’t hear otherwise! It’s the perfect balance of creamy and refreshing, and the chocolate chunks make for such a texturally pleasing mouthful – no holiday is complete without a couple of scoops. These choux buns are a celebration of my love for the flavour. The crisp craquelin shell, meanwhile, almost mimics the flavour of an ice-cream cone and never fails to transport me to sunnier days.
Mint choc chip choux buns
Prep 40 min
Cook 30 min
Infuse 20 min
Makes 10
For the craquelin
40g butter
40g light brown sugar
50g plain flour
For the choux pastry
60ml milk
50g unsalted butter
75g plain flour
A pinch of salt
3 large eggs, beaten
For the filling
400ml double cream
15g fresh mint
2 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra to finish
¼ tsp peppermint extract
50g dark chocolate, finely chopped
Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5, and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Put the butter and sugar for the craquelin in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the flour and mix to a smooth paste. Put the dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper, roll out to about 2-3mm thick, then put on a baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
For the choux pastry, put the milk, butter and 60ml water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour and salt, then stir continuously until the dough starts to come together. Cook for a further minute, until the dough comes away clean from the pan.
Cool the choux dough in a bowl for five minutes. Pour in the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition – the mixture will be lumpy at first, but it will eventually come together. Continue beating in the eggs until the mix is reluctant to drop off the spoon – it should hold a V shape when you lift the spoon from the bowl (you may not need all the eggs).
Transfer to a piping bag. Pipe the choux in 4cm circles on to the lined baking tray, leaving some space between them.
Take the craquelin dough out of the freezer and use a round cutter to make discs slightly larger than the width of the piped choux. Put a craquelin disc on top of each bun, then bake for 25-30 minutes, until deep golden brown. Remove and cool completely.
For the filling, gently heat the cream and mint in a small pan, then set aside to infuse for 15–20 minutes. Tip into a bowl and chill.
When ready to serve, strain the chilled cream mix, add the icing sugar and peppermint, and whip to soft peaks. Fold in the chopped chocolate, then spoon into a piping bag. Cut a small hole in the base of each choux bun, fill with the cream mix, dust with icing sugar and serve.
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