Peanut butter, banana, bubblegum

MAKES 10

You will need

1 quantity Chouxmaca Buns

1 quantity Zumbaron Shells, coloured yellow, sprinkled with chopped peanuts (optional)

1 quantity Bubblegum Paste

PEANUT BUTTER CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) milk

10 g (³/₈ oz) skim milk powder

175 g (6 oz) egg yolk

75 g (2¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

50 g (1¾ oz) cornflour (cornstarch)

50 g (1¾ oz) unsalted butter, cubed

50 g (1¾ oz) smooth peanut butter

2 g (¹/₁₆ oz) sea salt

Heat the milk and milk powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat. Whisk the egg yolk, caster sugar and cornflour in a bowl until thick and pale, then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and whisk constantly over medium heat until the custard comes to the boil. Boil for 30 seconds, then transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface.

Cool the crème pâtissière to 50°C (120°F), then blend in the butter and peanut butter with a hand blender until smooth. Add the sea salt, cover with plastic wrap as before and refrigerate to cool completely. Before using the crème pâtissière, use a whisk to whisk it smooth again.

BANANA COMPOTE

½ lemon

250 g (9 oz) ripe bananas, sliced 5 mm (¼ inch) thick

60 g (2¼ oz) condensed milk

seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

30 g (1 oz) milk

60 g (2¼ oz) pure cream (35% fat)

Squeeze the lemon juice over the banana to stop it oxidising. Put the banana, condensed milk, vanilla seeds and milk into a medium frying pan over medium heat. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken and break down. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface, and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk the cream to soft peaks and store in the refrigerator until needed. Once the banana mixture has cooled, fold through the cream, then cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until needed.

BUBBLEGUM CHANTILLY

4 g (¹/₈ oz) gold-strength gelatine leaves

24 g (⁷/₈ oz) cold water

590 g (1 lb 4¾ oz) pure cream (35% fat)

125 g (4½ oz) Bubblegum Paste, extra

Cut the gelatine leaves into small squares, put them in a bowl with the cold water and set aside to soak. Put the cream into a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to 85°C (185°F). Add the bubblegum paste and the gelatine with any remaining soaking liquid and stir well until dissolved. Pour the mixture into a container or bowl and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface. Store in the refrigerator overnight or until needed.

CARAMELISED PEANUTS

90 g (3¼ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

seeds scraped from ½ vanilla bean

30 g (1 oz) water

250 g (9 oz) roasted peanuts

3 g (¹/₈ oz) cocoa butter

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the sugar, vanilla seeds and water into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine and bring to 121°C (249°F). Remove from the heat and add the peanuts, stirring vigorously so the mixture crystallises. Return to the heat and cook for 4–5 minutes or until caramelised. Add the cocoa butter and stir to combine. Spread out on the prepared baking tray so the nuts aren’t touching each other. Set aside to cool completely.

TO ASSEMBLE

Place the prepared chouxmaca buns onto a clean baking tray and use a small knife to cut a 2 cm (¾ inch) diameter hole in the very top of the bun. Put the peanut butter crème pâtissière in a piping (icing) bag (no nozzle is needed) and fill each choux bun halfway. Put the bubblegum paste in another piping bag and pipe a teaspoonful into the choux bun. Put the banana compote into a piping bag and fill the remaining space in each chouxmaca bun.

Sprinkle with a few caramelised peanuts. Put the bubblegum chantilly in another piping bag with an 11 mm (⁷/₁₆ inch) fluted piping nozzle and pipe the chantilly on top of the choux bun in a spiral motion until it is roughly 4 cm (1½ inches) high. Lastly, place one zumbaron shell on top of each chouxmaca. Keep in the refrigerator until consumed. These are best eaten within 4–5 hours of filling.