Choux Pastry Hearts with Amaretto Cream

1. Put the water and the butter in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil with the salt and the sugar, make sure the butter is melted.

2. Add the sifted flour all at once and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Put back on the heat and cook for two minutes until the paste is pale. Cool a little.

3. Move this batter to a the mixing bowl of a mixer with beating attachment fitted, or a if you don’t have a mixer you can do it by hand with a wooden spoon in a mixing bowl.

4. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time and beat each addition in so it is incorporated fully, it will go glossy then back to dull. Add the eggs until the mix is shiny and it just drops off the wooden spoon. Cool and transfer to a piping bag.

5. Run a baking sheet under a tap and shake off excess water and pipe the pastry into heart shapes on the dampened baking sheet.

6. Bake at 220°C For 10 minutes then 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes until golden.

For the Fruit Filling:

1. Half the apricots, then cut those halves into quarters. Add to a pan with the blueberries and almond liqueur. Warm through on a low heat but don’t let it boil.

2. Once the fruit is hot, transfer to a bowl and leave to one side to infuse.

For the Cream:

1. In a food mixer with whisk attachment, add the cream and almond liqueur if required. Sieve in the icing sugar. Whisk on a fast setting until the cream thickens, but don’t overdo it or the cream will be too stiff.

2. When the choux buns are baked, cut in half horizontally and remove top halves. Pipe the amaretto cream onto the bun following the heart shape and replace the top. Serve with the infused fruit spooned into the centre of the heart.