Peaches and cream choux pastry puffs

1. Heat your oven to 200C. Place the butter and salt in a medium saucepan with 100ml of water and bring to a simmer. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low and mix well with a wooden spoon until a film forms on the bottom of the pot. Remove from the heat and transfer the flour mixture to a heatproof bowl. Mix for about 20 seconds to cool. 

2. Whisk the 3 eggs and add to the flour mixture in four equal portions, mixing well with a wooden spoon until each batch is fully incorporated before adding the next. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a wide, round nozzle and pipe 5cm rounds of the mixture. (To make even circles, do this without moving the nozzle.) Bake the choux puffs for 30 minutes until golden brown, then cool on a wire rack.

3. For the peach filling, blanch the peaches in boiling water for just 30 seconds each and remove the skins. Remove the stones and cut the flesh into 1cm cubes. Whip the creams and icing sugar together until soft peaks form. Fold through the peach cubes.

4. Fill the choux creams by making a diagonal cut across the pastries, without cutting all the way through. With a small spoon fill the pastries with the peach filling. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately. 

Adam's tip For success in piping choux creams, you need to keep the batter warm. The old chef trick is to leave the piping bag on top of the oven while preparing the trays, but a warming drawer or very low oven will work well at home.

Serve with my seafood boil with champagne, lobster and prawns for a romantic Valentine's Day meal.

If you like this recipe, try Adam's roasted peaches and cream popsicles.