Kim-Joy's honey crème puffs recipe
Kim-Joy’s latest cookbook, Bake Me a Cat, is perhaps her quirkiest creation to date. The book is a celebration of the Great British Bake Off star's two favourite things: baking, and cats.
The star baker, who reached the final in 2018, won fans with her signature playful style, and this recipe for honey crème puffs shows that off in the most adorable way.
"This choux pastry is light and crisp all at the same time, and filled with a cat-tified dollop of silky honey cream," she says. "Choux pastry can be seen as a finicky bake, but you just have to follow its rules and don’t rush into things."
Top tip: Don’t overfill the piping bag, as the cream can change in texture as you squeeze.
Note: This recipe can be made gluten-free. See alternative ingredients and steps below.
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
- 85 g unsalted butter
- 225 ml water
- 1 pinch salt
- 50 g strong white flour
- 50 g plain flour (to make gluten free, substitute both the plain and strong flours for 100g of a gluten-free flour blend – don’t add xanthan gum)
- 3 medium eggs
- 3 oz unsalted butter
- 7.9 fl oz water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1.8 oz strong white flour
- 1.8 oz plain flour (to make gluten free, substitute both the plain and strong flours for 100g of a gluten-free flour blend – don’t add xanthan gum)
- 3 medium eggs
- 3 oz unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1.8 oz strong white flour
- 1.8 oz all-purpose flour (to make gluten free, substitute both the plain and strong flours for ¾ cup of a gluten-free flour blend – don’t add xanthan gum)
- 3 medium eggs
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 75 g light muscovado sugar
- 75 g plain flour (to make gluten free, substitute for 75g of a gluten-free flour blend and a pinch of xanthan gum)
- 2.6 oz unsalted butter
- 2.6 oz light muscovado sugar
- 2.6 oz plain flour (to make gluten free, substitute for 75g of a gluten-free flour blend and a pinch of xanthan gum)
- 2.6 oz unsalted butter
- 2.6 oz light muscovado sugar
- 2.6 oz all-purpose flour (to make gluten free, substitute for ½ cup plus 1tbsp of a gluten-free flour blend and a pinch of xanthan gum)
- 400 ml double cream
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 drop of yellow gel food dye
- 1 drop of black gel food dye
- 1 handful flaked almonds
- 14.1 fl oz double cream
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 drop of yellow gel food dye
- 1 drop of black gel food dye
- 1 handful flaked almonds
- 1.7 cups heavy cream
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 drop of yellow gel food dye
- 1 drop of black gel food dye
- 1 handful slivered almonds
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Baking
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 60 mins
- Cooking Time: 35 mins
- Serves: 35
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7 . Line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper or silicone mats.
- Make the choux. Chop the butter into cubes and add it to a small saucepan with the water and salt. Heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is starting to bubble. Meanwhile, combine both flours in a separate bowl. When the butter mixture is bubbling, remove it from the heat and add the flour all in one go. Stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides very easily.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Leave to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. You can mix it on low speed to help cool it down faster.
- Meanwhile, make the craquelin. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with a spoon until combined and spreadable. Add the flour (plus xanthan gum, if gluten-free) and stir to form a ball. Roll out between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer.
- Return to the cooled choux mixture, adding two of the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition until combined. Whisk the third egg in a separate bowl and gradually add 1tbsp at a time, mixing well after each addition. You are looking for a glossy consistency that leaves a ‘v’ shape when a spoon is lifted out of the dough. You may not need all of the third egg.
- Transfer the choux pastry to a piping bag and cut a large tip or use a large piping tip. Pipe 3.5 cm (1.5 in) blobs onto the prepared baking sheet, holding your piping bag perpendicular to the sheet and squeezing in one place. Remove the craquelin from the freezer and stamp out 3 cm (1.25 in) circles to fit on top of each piped choux. Place a circle of craquelin on top of each one.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t open the oven during baking, to avoid the choux deflating. When the choux have finished baking, immediately turn them over and use a knife to pierce the base. This is so that the air inside has somewhere to escape. Leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the honey whipped cream filling. Add the cream, honey, and vanilla to a large bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip, as it will end up getting overworked as you transfer it to the piping bag and pipe. While whipping, gradually add very small amounts of food dye until a pale yellow colour is achieved.
- Transfer around a quarter of the whipped cream to a piping bag and cut a large tip or use a large piping tip. Place a small amount of whipped cream into a second piping bag and cut a small tip or use a small piping tip. Cut the tops off each choux bun, fill with a mound of piped whipped cream using the larger bag, then use the small piping bag to add paws.
- Place a small piece of slivered almond for the nose/mouth area and insert small, slivered almonds for the ears. You can use a small sharp knife to cut these so they are pointier and more cat-like.
- Place the reserved choux lids back on top, then draw facial details onto the filling using a toothpick dipped into a very small amount of black food dye. Use a VERY minimal amount otherwise your cats will have big black and dripping eyes! These are best eaten the same day they are made. The black food dye will bleed into the cream once refrigerated, so it’s best to serve these straight away after decorating.
Recipe adapted from Bake Me a Cat by Kim-Joy (Quadrille, £16.99) Photography: Ellis Parrinder.
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