I fight my demons, vol. 3

Do you remember?
I fight my demons, vol. 1 - real beef stock
I fight my demons, vol.2 - homemade pasta

Now the time has come for the choux pastry. I have to admit that I was probably looking for an excuse and complaining that I do not have the piping bag and be unable to shape a proper eclair. I was dreaming about making my own chocolate eclairs with fresh cream and one day our postman came and had a parcel for me. My friend from Dublin, who happens to be a great pastry maker could not listen my excuses anymore so he had send me a piping bag with a nozzle. I did not have much choice - I had to make my own choux pastry, however last weekend I needed something savoury rather than sweet so I have made savoury, seasonal filling with asparagus.

I am not longer afraid of choux pastry! It will not be long until you will see me making the croquembouche!

Roasted asparagus cream cheese filled profiteroles

Makes about 30 small profiteroles

Filling:

20 decent green asparagus spears, tough ends removed
drizzle of olive oil
400g natural cream cheese such as Philadelphia
few basil leaves
whole lemon zest
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Place the asparagus on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in 180 C for about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave it to cool down and place in the food processor together with juices from roasting. Add lemon zest, cheese and whiz - I like when I still can taste pieces of asparagus, so I do not make it very smooth. Season with salt and pepper and leave it in a fridge to cool down and set little bit.

Choux pastry:

150g plain flour
100g unsalted butter
125ml milk
125ml water
half tsp salt
4 medium eggs

Combine the milk, sugar, salt and diced butter in a large heavy based saucepan. Heat gently and stir until the butter has melted and it starts to boil. Sprinkle the flour all over the milk and quickly using wooden spoon or rolling pin mix the flour into the liquid ingredients, still keeping the pan over the heat. When combined beat the ingredients together vigorously for few minutes. The paste is ready when it clumps together in a smooth ball and comes away cleanly from the sides of the pan. Then leave it to cool down.

Beat one by one egg into a dough, making sure the egg is beaten into a dough completely before you add the next one. Dough should be quite shiny.

Fit a piping bag with a nozzle and spoon the choux pastry mixture into the bag. Pipe small balls onto a baking tray lined with baking paper making sure you have plenty space between them - they will puff quite a lot.

Bake in batches, in 200 C for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and leave them to cool down on a wire rack.

Fit a piping bag with a nozzle and spoon the filling into the bag. Pipe filling into each profiterole. I did not have too much experience so did not know how much filling to pipe into the profiteroles, so some of the filling actually came out. I have arranged them on the plate and decorated with small mint leaves before serving. (basil leaves were too big).