Profiteroles for savoury fillingsMakes approximately 30 small profiteroles, which will make a first course for 6-8 people6oz/170g butter, cut into bits¾ pint/430ml water9oz/250g sieved plain flour½ teaspoon salt2 teaspoons mustard powder or ready-made mustard – in which case my preference is for Dijon mustarda dash of Tabasco5 large eggs, beaten together3oz/85g grated Parmesan cheesePut the bits of butter and water together in a large saucepan over a moderate heat. Let the butter melt gently in the water and only then let it come to a fast rolling boil. Sieve the flour with the salt and mustard powder, into a bowl.Tip the flour, mustard powder (or proper mustard), salt and Tabasco into the buttery hot water and beat like mad, taking the pan off the heat. Very quickly, the dough will form a ball which rolls from the sides of the pan. Don’t beat once this happens – over-beating will give poor results. Leave to cool for 25-30 minutes.Then, beat in the beaten eggs, a small amount at a time and beating very well between each addition. If you like, you can use a hand-held electric whisk. Beat in the grated cheese at this stage. When all the eggs are incorporated, rinse a baking sheet or two under cold water.Easiest done with a piping bag and a plain nozzle, pipe even-sized blobs on the baking tray and bake in a hot oven, 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for 20-25 minutes – they should be well risen and pale golden. Take the tray from the oven and slash the side of each – this releases steam from within, which, if left, makes the inside of each profiterole soggy – then put the tray back in the oven for another few minutes. Take them out of the oven, and cool on a wire rack.To fill, either cut each profiterole two-thirds widthways, which is easiest done using a small serrated knife, or push the nozzle of the piping bag into each profiterole to pipe in the filling, which is all right if the filling is smooth, but if it contains chopped food, then the filling of the profiteroles is only possible by slicing open the profiteroles and using a wider plain nozzle.Suggested fillingsHalf-fat Philly cheese combined with finely and neatly diced smoked salmon, seasoned with lemon juice and black pepper and, if you like, chopped dill.Finely diced and roasted mushrooms, combined with low fat Philly cream cheese, seasoned with salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Or you can also add finely chopped smoked bacon or ham to the mushrooms in the filling.• Coffee fudge iced profiterolesThese can also be served as a sweet canapé for the type of party where you give substantial food to your guests without plates and cutlery.SERVES 66oz/170g butter cut into small bits¾ pint/430ml cold water½ teaspoon vanilla extract sieved with2oz/55g icing sugar5 large eggs beaten togetherFor the filling¾ pint/430ml double cream whipped with2oz/55g caster sugar and1 rounded teaspoon Gold Blend instant coffee dissolved in1 tablespoon boiling water, and cooled before being whipped into the creamFor the coffee fudge icing1 rounded teaspoon Gold Blend instant coffee¼ pint/140ml cold water2oz/55g butter2oz/55g granulated sugar8oz/220g sieved icing sugarTo make the profiteroles – or éclairs – measure the water, vanilla extract and bits of butter into a large saucepan and put this over moderate heat. The butter will melt as the water heats, but don’t be tempted to speed up this process, the water absolutely must not boil before all the butter has melted. Meanwhile, sieve the flour and icing sugar again, into a bowl. Once the butter has melted, then let this liquid reach boiling point and add the flour and icing sugar in one whoosh, beating like mad, the pan now off the heat. Beat only until the dough rolls from the sides of the pan, which is very quick to happen. Then leave to cool for 25-30 minutes.Add the beaten eggs a small amount at a time, beating well each time. Rinse the baking trays with cold water. Pipe or spoon the mixture into even-sized small blobs, onto the trays. Bake in a hot oven, 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6, for 20-25 minutes, then take out the trays and cut a slash in the side of each profiterole. Bake for five more minutes, before taking the trays out of the oven, lifting the profiteroles onto a wire rack, and leaving them till they are cold.If you want actual éclairs, then pipe 4in/10cm long choux éclairs.To make the fudge icing measure the coffee granules into a saucepan with the cold water, butter and granulated sugar. Over moderate heat, stir until the sugar has dissolved completely, and the butter melted, and only then bring the contents of the pan to a fast boil. Boil until the amount has reduced by half. Mix this into the sieved icing sugar, then beat it.Spoon or pipe the whipped cream into each profiterole or éclair. Then coat each with the hot icing, and leave on a serving plate or ashet till the icing is cold.

IMPRESSIVE to serve but easy to make, choux pastry is a savoury or sweet treat

Recipes: Profiteroles for savoury fillings | Coffee fudge iced profiteroles