Paris-Brest

1. In a saucepan bring the water and butter to the boil, add the flour all at once, and "cook" it into a smooth ball.

2. Cool slightly, then beat in the eggs one at a time until you have a glossy choux paste.

3. Pipe the paste into a large ring (crown) shape on baking paper, scatter with a little ground hazelnut, and bake at 190 °C for about 30 minutes until puffed and golden.

4. Whip the cream with the sugar and gently fold in most of the toasted ground hazelnut (hazelnut cream).

5. Cut the cooled crown in half horizontally.

6. Pipe the hazelnut cream onto the lower half, place the top back on, and dust with icing sugar.

Tip: The Paris-Brest is made wheel-shaped in honour of the bicycle race – the hazelnut (praline) cream is its soul. Bake and dry the pastry well so it holds its shape under the weight of the cream.