Ravneet Gill’s recipe for glazed chouxnuts

I was sceptical about using an air fryer for baking, but it really does work – we even set air-fryer choux buns as a challenge on Junior Bake Off, and they were a real hit! The air fryer’s quick, even heat makes it perfect for choux pastry, but you can, of course, also deep-fry or bake these in the oven instead. This is just a speedy alternative.

Glazed chouxnuts

Prep 5 min
Cook 40 min
Makes 8-10

50ml whole milk
100g unsalted butter
5g sugar
Pinch of salt
100g plain flour
175-200g eggs (3-4 eggs), beaten

For the glaze
200g icing sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
20g softened unsalted butter – really pliable and soft, but not melted

In a saucepan, combine 100ml water with the milk, butter, sugar and salt. Put on a medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture is just about to come to a boil, then take off the heat and quickly stir in the flour until the mix comes together into a dough. Return the pan to a low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for one to two minutes, until the dough forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Leave to cool slightly, then gradually add the beaten egg, stirring until smooth. The dough should be thick but pipeable.

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star or round nozzle, then pipe rings on to small squares of greaseproof paper. Heat the air fryer to 180C, then put some of the chouxnut rings (with their paper bottoms) into the air fryer basket, ensuring they’re not crowded. Air fry for 10-12 minutes, until puffed and golden – if they’re a bit pale underneath, flip them over and air fry for two to three minutes more.

Leave the chouxnuts to cool slightly, and in the meantime mix the icing sugar and cinnamon with enough water to form a thick glaze – you’ll need about four or five tablespoons in total. Use a small whisk to combine with the softened butter.

Once the chouxnuts are cool enough to handle, dip them in the glaze to coat the top, then leave the glaze to set before serving.