Paris-Brest

Step 1: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Draw a 22 cm circle on baking paper, turn it over and lay it on a tray.

Step 2: Bring ½ cup water, ½ cup milk, 3 ½ oz unsalted butter, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp caster sugar to the boil. Tip in 5 ½ oz plain flour all at once and beat hard with a wooden spoon over a low heat for 2 minutes, until the dough comes away from the pan in a smooth ball and leaves a thin film on the bottom.

Step 3: Tip into a bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Beat in 4 eggs a little at a time; stop when the dough is glossy and falls from the spoon in a thick V-shaped ribbon. You may not need all the egg.

Step 4: Pipe a thick ring of choux along the circle with a 1.5 cm star nozzle, then pipe a second ring inside it touching it, and a third on top along the join. Scatter with 1 oz flaked almonds.

Step 5: Bake for 40–45 minutes, until deep golden, puffed and light when lifted. Common mistake: opening the oven in the first 25 minutes; the steam escapes and the ring collapses. Turn the oven off and leave the ring inside with the door ajar for 15 minutes to dry.

Step 6: For the cream, heat 1 ¼ cups whole milk until steaming. Whisk 3 egg yolks, 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar and 1 oz cornflour in a bowl, pour on the hot milk while whisking, return to the pan and whisk over a medium heat until it boils and turns very thick, 2 minutes. Cover the surface and cool completely.

Step 7: Beat 5 ½ oz unsalted butter until pale and fluffy. Beat in 5 ½ oz hazelnut praline paste, then the cold custard a spoonful at a time until light and smooth. If it looks curdled, keep beating; it comes together.

Step 8: Split the cooled ring horizontally with a serrated knife. Pipe the praline cream in generous swirls over the base, set the top on and dust with 1 tbsp icing sugar. Chill for 30 minutes and eat the same day.