Cheesy Choux Bites

Ingredients (serves 2)

• For the choux pastry:
• 150ml water
• 55g butter
• 70g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 75g Cheddar cheese
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

• For the mascarpone filling:
• 150g mascarpone
• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• A small handful of chives (about 5g)
• ½ lemon
• A pinch of salt
• 15g Parmesan

• Required Equipment:
• Saucepan
• Bowl
• Chopping board
• Cutlery knife
• Wooden spoon
• Plate
• Box grater
• Jug
• Measuring spoon
• Baking sheet
• 1-2 piping bags
• Knife

• Setup:
• Pre-heat an oven to 200°C
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Method

1. Measure the water into a small saucepan and cut the butter into 1cm cubes and add to the water. Place over a low heat and allow the butter to melt, without letting the water boil
2. Whilst the butter is melting, add a pinch of salt to the flour
3. Once the butter has melted, increase the heat and bring the liquid to a boil and add the flour and salt in all at once and turn off the heat
4. Carefully stir the flour and liquid together with a wooden spoon or spatula. Then beat until the flour is fully incorporated and there are no lumps, and the mixture is thick and a uniform colour. This is called a panade. Spread this panade onto a plate and let it cool a little.  Don’t bother washing the saucepan as it will be used again later
5. Crack the eggs into a jug or small bowl and beat with a fork or small whisk
6. Grate the cheddar cheese on a fine grater setting and put to one side
7. Once the panade is warm (but no longer hot), return it to the saucepan off the heat.  Add about 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg and beat it into the panade with a wooden spoon. Once the egg is fully incorporated, add a little more egg and beat again. Continue in the same way until all the egg has been added
8. Finally beat in the cheddar cheese and mustard and place the choux pastry into a piping bag. The pastry can now be used immediately or stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen (defrost thoroughly before using)
9. Cut the end of the piping bag to make a 1-1.5cm hole
10. Pipe approximately 12 teaspoon-sized rounds of choux onto the baking parchment, leaving a 3-4cm gap between each one. There should be sufficient mixture for two trays of piped choux, giving approximately 24 choux bites in total. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 mins
11. Whilst the choux is baking, scissor snip the chives finely onto the mascarpone in a bowl
12. Finely grate the parmesan cheese and add to the bowl, then finely zest the lemon and add as well
13. Finally, add the olive oil, smoked paprika and a generous pinch of salt and mix thoroughly. Carefully spoon the filling into a piping bag
14. Once baked the choux bites should be a deep golden colour, risen and firm to the touch. Leave to cool completely on a baking tray before filling
15. Cut the cooled choux buns in half horizontally. One at a time, pipe a little blob of the mascarpone onto the centre of the bottom half of a choux bite then place the top half back on top
16. Do the same with all of the remaining choux bites and serve as soon as possible
17. Eat and enjoy!