Directions:

PLAIN SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

• 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine cubed butter with flour, sugar, starch, ground almonds, and salt. Run mixer until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• 2. Add eggs and continue to mix until dough just beings to come together, do not over mix.
• 3. Roll dough and cut into desired shape. Place on sheet tray sandwiched between two baking mats. Bake in convection oven at 310°F for 20 minutes. Cool and set aside until needed.

INVERSE PUFF PASTRY

• 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the first quantity of flour, butter, salt, and vanilla powder. Run mixer until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• 2. Add water and mix until dough has a smooth and consistent texture. Shape dough into a rectangle, wrap in clingfilm, and refrigerate overnight to rest.
• 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine beurre sec and second quantity of flour. Shape into a rectangle the same size as the beurre manié, wrap in clingfilm, and refrigerate overnight to rest.
• 4. Roll out beurre manié until it is twice the size of the dough rectangle. Place buerre sec dough in the center of the rolled out beurre manié and roll it out to notch 9 in order to make 5 turns, leaving dough to rest for half a day between each turn. Roll out puff pastry and refrigerate overnight to rest.
• 5. Cut dough out into desired shape and bake for 40 minutes at 340°F on sheet tray between two baking mats with 1cm thick blocks. Cool and set aside until needed.

SOFT CARAMEL

• 1. In a saucepan heat cream with split vanilla bean until it boils, remove from heat, and refrigerate, covered, overnight to infuse.
• 2. In another saucepan, melt glucose and gradually add sugar. Cook to light caramel then add infused cream and bring mixture to a boil.
• 3. Remove from heat, add butter, and mix with a hand blender. Stir in fleur de sel and allow to cool overnight. Place in piping bag without a tip.

UGANDAN VANILLA WHIPPED GANACHE

• 1. In a sauce pan heat the first quantity of cream with spilt vanilla bean until it boils, remove from heat, and refrigerate, covered, overnight to infuse.
• 2. The following day, heat infused cream along with hydrated gelatin and strain over white chocolate. Mix to incorporate.
• 3. Continue to mix while adding the second quantity of cream. Strain through chinois and refrigerate overnight. Emulsify until texture is creamy and smooth. Place in piping bag with a round 15mm tip.

CHOUX PASTRY

• 1. In a bowl combine cocoa butter powder and icing sugar. Whisk until well mixed and set aside.
• 2. In a saucepan heat milk, water, sugar, salt, and butter until butter is melted and mixture is warmed through. Add flour, mix until smooth, and dry out over heat until dough begins to pull away from sides of the pan.
• 3. Place mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Weigh dough and add back additional water if any was lost while heating. Start mixture and slowly add eggs. Cool dough to 85°F.
• 4. Transfer dough to piping bag and pipe three sizes of choux buns and sprinkle with cocoa butter powder mixture. Bake on baking mat at 265°F for 30 minutes, and then at 300°F for 15 minutes to brown.

CHOUX CARAMEL

• 1. In a saucepan heat glucose and gradually add sugar and nougasec. Once mixture reaches a light caramel pour onto a sheet of greaseproof paper to stop the cooking process and leave to cool.
• 2. Break caramel into large pieces and store in a dry place.

CARAMEL CREAM

• 1. In a saucepan, heat milk with split vanilla bean until it boils, remove from heat, and refrigerate, covered, overnight to infuse.
• 2. Make a dry caramel with the first quantity of sugar and stop cooking process with infused milk.
• 3. In a bowl, beat egg yolks with second quantity of sugar until pale and creamy, then add corn starch.
• 4. Pour the infusion into beaten egg yolks, then pour back into the saucepan. Cook as you would a crème pâtissière. Remove from heat and add hydrated gelatin and frozen butter. Mix with hand blender. Cool and place in piping bag with a 6mm round tip.

ASSEMBLY

• 1. Melt choux caramel and use to glaze the 3 differently-sized choux buns and place in respective round molds. Fill each bun with caramel cream and remove from molds.
• 2. Place sweet shortcrust pastry on piece of cardstock and use some soft caramel to adhere puff pastry on top.
• 3. Pipe the vanilla whipped ganache on top of puff pasty and fill each ball with soft caramel. Place glazed and filled choux buns on top of ball of caramel filled ganache.