Paris-Brest with hazelnut crème au beurre

Instructions

1. Pre heat oven to 220°C (fan forced). Place milk, water and butter in a pot and bring to the boil. Add flour, salt and sugar and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until a ball begins to form. Remove and place in a medium sized bowl. Using a whisk, beat the dough for 1 minute and then slowly add the eggs one at a time.
2. Once choux paste is smooth, place into a piping bag with a medium round nozzle. Line a baking tray with silicon paper and pipe choux pastry into 1 large 18-cm circle.
3. Pipe a smaller circle in the large circle, then pipe a third circle on top of the 2 circles.
4. Brush with egg yolk and arrange chopped hazelnuts on top of the rings, then bake for 45 mins.
5. Turn oven down to 180°C and bake for a further 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
6. Meanwhile, to make the crème au berre, dissolve the sugar in the water, stir over low heat then bring the syrup to the boil and cook until the syrup reaches 110°C on a sugar thermometer.
7. Whisk the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer and continue whisking while you add the syrup in a thin stream. Whisk until it becomes light and fluffy and the mix has cooled down.
8. Add the butter in small pieces until incorporated.
9. Finally, add 2 tbsp hazelnut paste and whisk until incorporated. Set the cream aside until ready to use.
10. When the choux is completely cool, cut in half and pipe the crème au beurre onto the bottom half.
11. Place the top of the choux on top, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.