Rhubarb and Vanilla Cream Puffs

Ingredients

• Water125g
• Whole milk125g
• Unsalted butter110g
• Caster sugar5g
• Fine salt3g
• Bread flour140g
• Eggs (whole)4
• Pearl sugar30g
• Rhubarb stalks400g
• Caster sugar (for compote)100g
• Vanilla bean1
• Whole milk (for cream)300g
• Heavy cream 35%300g
• Egg yolks4
• Caster sugar (for cream)75g
• Cornstarch28g
• Unsalted butter (for cream)40g
• Powdered sugar20g

Method

1. 1.Make the rhubarb compote: slice rhubarb into 2cm pieces, toss with 100g sugar. Cook over medium heat 12–15 min until jammy. Cool completely.
2. 2.Make the pastry cream (crème pâtissière): heat 300g milk with the split vanilla bean until steaming. Whisk yolks, 75g sugar, and cornstarch until pale.
3. 3.Pour hot milk over the yolk mixture, whisk to combine, return to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbling.
4. 4.Off the heat, stir in 40g butter. Transfer to a clean bowl, press cling film directly onto the surface, and chill at least 2 hours.
5. 5.Make the choux: bring water, milk, butter, 5g sugar, and salt to a full boil. Add flour all at once, beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls cleanly from the pan.
6. 6.Cool the dough 5 min, then beat in eggs one at a time until smooth and the batter falls in a slow ribbon.
7. 7.Pipe 6cm rounds onto lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with pearl sugar.
8. 8.Bake at 180°C (convection) for 28–32 min until deeply golden. Do not open the oven early. Cool on a rack.
9. 9.Whip 300g heavy cream to stiff peaks. Loosen the chilled pastry cream with a spatula, then fold in the whipped cream to make a diplomat cream.
10. 10.Slice each puff horizontally. Pipe or spoon a generous layer of diplomat cream into the base, add a spoonful of rhubarb compote, and cap with the lid.
11. 11.Dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve within 2 hours.