Strawberry Choux Pastry Wreath (Lactose Free!)
Welcome back to another delicious lactose free recipe. This weeks recipe is for a giant choux pastry wreath filled with delicious fresh strawberries and whipped cream.   The recipes here have been tested with lactose free ingredients multiple times to ensure their success and deliciousness. As always, this recipe is lactose free providing you use the right ingredients. Always make sure your ingredients are safe.   Always remember that if you fail it is a learning experience and not the end of the world. Baking is something that takes practice. Failures give you an opportunity to look at what went wrong and why. That knowledge and experience is so important for any baker regardless of skill level. Everyone starts somewhere.
Servings: 8 yield(s)
Prep Time: 60 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 105 mins
Ingredients
    Choux Pastry
  • 1 cup Water
  • 100 g Butter (Lactose free) (Brand used - Flora)
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 150 g Plain flour
  • 3 Eggs
    • Whipped Cream
  • 300 ml Cream (lactose free) (Brand used - Pauls Zymil Thickened Cream)
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
    • Extra
  • Fresh strawberries, washed, leaves removed and cut into slices
  • Icing sugar (I love using a sifter jar filled with icing sugar.)
  • Piping bags
  • Large star piping tip
  • Baking tray
  • Baking paper
Instructions
    Choux Wreath
  1. Preheat your oven to 200 °C (392f). Grab your baking tray and a piece of baking paper. Draw a large circle in the centre of the paper. Move aside.
  2. Sift the flour in a bowl twice. Set aside.
  3. In a medium saucepan add the butter, water, sugar and salt. Stir well. Heat on low until the butter melts completely.
  4. Turn the heat up to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Quickly turn off the heat and tip the flour in. Mix well being careful not to get the hot mixture on yourself.
  5. Keep mixing until it reaches a nice thick, smooth, almost mashed potato consistency.
  6. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Leave to cool down slightly for a good ten minutes.
  7. Crack the three eggs into a bowl. Beat.
  8. Using a stand or hand mixer start beating the cooled mixture just to break it up. Whilst mixing start adding in the egg a little bit at a time.
  9. Keep mixing until the mixture is beautiful and smooth. A trick is to lift up your beaters. The dough should form a v shape at the end.
  10. Spoon the mixture into a large piping bag.
  11. Grab the baking tray and the baking paper. Place a small amount of the excess batter in each corner and press down the baking paper. It helps to stick the paper down so piping is easier.
  12. Grab the piping bag. Cut the end off. Pipe a nice thick ring following the circle that you drew on the paper.
  13. Pipe a second on the inside of the first ring. Make sure they are touching.
  14. Pipe a third rind on top of the two rings.
  15. I strongly recommend to use a toothpick or clean finger to smooth down any air bubbles or large gaps. It can create some uneven parts in the final look. Personally I enjoy a nice rustic look.
  16. Bake the pastry for 25 minutes. Lower the oven to 175 °C (350f) and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes. The pastry should be golden brown and hard. A nice firm outer shell is important.
  17. Move to a wire rack until cooled down.
    18. Assembly
  18. Place the cream, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl. Beat until stiff peaks form.
  19. Fit a piping bag with the large star tip. Spoon in the cream.
  20. Carefully cut the wreath in half.
  21. Place the strawberries on the bottom half.
  22. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the strawberries. Keep pipping it up nice and high until you have run out of cream.
  23. Gently place the top of the wreath back on.
  24. Dust the top of the wreath with the icing sugar.
  25. Congratulations you have made a delicious strawberries and cream choux pastry wreath.
  26. Serve, devour and enjoy.