Nutella Choux Donuts

Once you taste Nutella custard, basic cream just won't do.

INGREDIENTS

• Choux Pastry
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted margarine, cut in to small pieces
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 220 grams all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs + 1 egg white
• 250 grams Nutella
• 200 grams crushed hazelnuts
• Pastry Cream
• 250 milliliters of milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 50 grams sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 50 grams 185 grams butter + butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• Sea salt
• 3 tablespoons Nutella

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Nutella Pastry Cream
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the yolks, vanilla bean paste and the sugar and whisk until well combined and the mixture lightens in color. Add the corn flour and plain flour and stir until mixture is smooth Add 1/3 of the hot milk and stir well. Then slowly add the rest of the milk while stirring
3. Transfer to a medium sized saucepan and stir on medium heat until mixture thickens and becomes smooth. You should be able to run your finger along the back of the spoon and it will be thick enough to not come back together.
4. Add the cold butter cubes and stir until well combined.
5. Transfer custard to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight to allow it to completely set. Once it's set add nutella and whip up until well combined.
6. Choux Pastry
7. Bring the water, margarine, sugar and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the flour with a wooden spoon.
8. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with the wooden spoon, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and film forms on the bottom of the pan, around 1-2 minutes.
9. Transfer the dough to a stand mixer and mix on low with the paddle attachment until slightly cooled, around 1 minute. Raise the speed to medium and add each egg, 1 at a time, until soft peaks form in the batter with touched with your finger. This should take around 5 minutes. Alternatively you can do this using a hand mixer or a wooden spoon with a bit of extra elbow grease!
10. Preheat the oven to 220C (425F) and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill a pastry bag with the batter and pipe out donut shapes, around 4 centimeters in wide. Brush with egg wash (1 egg whisked with 2 tablespoons milk)
11. Place the unbaked éclairs in the oven for 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until golden brown, for 25 more minutes. Take out the baked pastries and placed them on a wire rack to cool.
12. To finish off poke three holes on the top of each donut. Fill with nutella pastry cream using a piping or zip locked bag filled the cream. Pipe a ring of nutella on top of each one and dip the nutella side into some crushed hazelnuts.
13. Nutella Choux Donuts are best served the day they're made but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Recipe adapted from Nutella Choux Donuts