Creamy goat's cheese choux buns

Ingredients

110g (4oz) plain flour 175ml (6fl oz) water 1/2 tsp fine salt 75g (3oz) butter, chopped 3 medium eggs, beaten 2 red onions, finely sliced 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp soft brown sugar 200g (7oz) soft goat's cheese 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) whipping or double cream

Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200ºC, fan 180ºC. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Sift the flour onto a piece of folded and opened out parchment paper.

In a saucepan, heat the water, salt and butter until the butter has just melted. Bring just to the boil, remove from the heat and tip in the flour at once and beat vigourously with a wooden spoon.

Beat until the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan to form a ball, about 20 seconds. Return the pan to the stove and beat for half a minute on a very low heat. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating hard between each addition. Beat the last egg in a bowl with a fork and add a little at a time. You may not need all the egg. When enough egg has been added, the dough will be shiny and soft enough to fall from the spoon.

Pipe the pastry mix onto the baking paper in small mounds well-spaced apart. Dip your finger in cold water and press lightly on the top of each to ensure they are even and not pointy on top.

Bake for 20 minutes or until well risen and golden. Remove from the oven and pierce the side of each bun with a sharp knife to allow the steam to escape,. Return to the oven for 2 minutes to crisp up and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the red onion relish. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onions, thyme, seasoning and fry over a gentle heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar, turn up the heat and bubble for 2-3 minutes or until caramelised. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

Whip the cream and gently fold in the goats cheese, season with black pepper.

To serve, spoon the creamed goats cheese into a piping bag, pipe a spoonful of the mix into the middle of each choux bun. Top with a little spoonful of the relish and then serve immediately.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

Bake the buns according to the recipe but stop before filling. Allow to cool completely. Pack into freezer-proof plastic boxes/bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

Remove from the freezer and leave to defrost in packaging at room temperature for several hours before filling and serving.

Prepare the creamy goats cheese and onion relish ahead of time and store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Assemble just before serving as the buns will soften quickly.

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