These puffs of deep-fried choux pastry are heavenly served with a rich chocolate sauce, but you could serve them with any dipping sauce you like – a classic vanilla anglaise would be sublime. Or skip the sauce altogether and simply dust them in snowy clouds of icing sugar. Just be sure to devour them while they’re still hot.
For the choux pastry, see our choux pastry recipe.
Ingredients
Chocolate-caramel sauce
Method
Main
1.For chocolate-caramel sauce, stir sugar and 100ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then brush down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush and boil without stirring until starting to caramelise (3-4 minutes). Continue cooking, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is evenly dark caramel, then remove from heat and add 125ml water (be careful, hot caramel will spit). Return to heat, add cream and bring back to the boil. Add chocolate, remove from heat, stand for 5 minutes, add Grand Marnier and stir until smooth. Set aside at room temperature.
2.Make choux pastry. Chill in the refrigerator until firm (2-3 hours).
3.Heat oil in a large saucepan or deep-fryer to 170C. Carefully add rough tablespoonfuls of choux pastry in batches and deep-fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, puffed and just starting to split (6-8 minutes; be careful, hot oil will spit). Drain on paper towels, dust with grated orange rind and icing sugar and serve hot with chocolate-caramel sauce, thick cream and raspberries.
