Kim-Joy says all the recipes in her Christmas book are “my babies”, but this recipe for Irish cream snowmen choux has a special place in her heart.
“I like how they look like they’re running in the photographs,” she says. “They’ve got a lot of character in their faces.
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“I also like them because they’re something you can be a little bit messy with,” Kim-Joy adds. “Because it’s a snowman, it doesn’t really matter too much, because snowmen are kind of messy. It lets you be a bit more creative with it, so I feel like it’s accessible to people who are new to baking.”
Nutrition Facts
Irish cream choux snowmen
Amount Per Serving
Calories 181
Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 69mg23%
Sodium 23mg1%
Potassium 35mg1%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 432IU9%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Irish cream choux snowmen
Festive baking joy
Servings: 24
Calories: 181kcal
Ingredients
For the choux pastry:
- 85 g unsalted butter
- 225 ml water
- Pinch of salt
- 50 g plain flour
- 50 g strong white flour (to make gluten free, swap both plain and strong white flour for 100g gluten-free flour plus ¼tsp xanthan gum)
- 2 - 3 medium eggs
For the Irish cream liqueur filling:
- 480 ml double cream
- 4 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tbsp Irish cream liqueur
For the vanilla icing:
- 200 g icing sugar
- 40- 50 ml water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
For the royal icing:
- 20 g egg white (substitute with aquafaba for a vegan version)
- 112 g icing sugar
- Plus extra egg white (or aquafaba) and icing sugar to adjust and get the right consistency
Plus:
- Matchstick cookies or similar
- Sprinkles
- Orange and black food dyes (or more sprinkles)
- Fondant, fruit, nuts, candy canes, etc for additional decoration (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- To make the choux pastry, chop the butter and add it to a small saucepan with the water and salt. Heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is starting to bubble. Meanwhile, combine both flours (or gluten-free flour plus xanthan gum) in a separate bowl. When the butter mixture is bubbling, remove it from the heat and add the flours all in one go. Stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides very easily – this is called a panada.
- Transfer the panada to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and leave to cool for five to 10 minutes.
- Add two eggs, one at a time, to the panada, mixing on slow speed after each addition until combined. Whisk a third egg in a separate bowl and gradually add one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. You may not need to add the third egg, or you may need to add a little or all of it. It’s important to add it gradually to avoid having a batter that is too runny. You are looking for a glossy consistency, which leaves a ‘v’ when a spoon is lifted out of the dough.
- Transfer to a piping bag and cut a medium tip. Line two baking sheets with baking paper or a silicone mat, then pipe 20 x 3cm circles onto one of the baking sheets.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180°C and bake for a further 20 minutes. Don’t open the oven until at least 25 minutes have passed, to avoid the choux pastry deflating.
- Meanwhile, pipe a second batch onto the other baking sheet. This time you will need 20 x 2.5cm circles (there will be some leftover choux so you can pipe extra if you like).
- When the first batch of choux have finished baking, immediately turn them over and use a knife to pierce the base. This is so that the air inside has somewhere to escape, and also gives you a place to pipe in the filling. Bake the second batch of choux for 10 minutes at 200°C, then a further 10 minutes at 180°C.
- Meanwhile, make the Irish cream filling. Add all the ingredients to a clean, grease-free bowl and whip on medium-high speed until stiff enough to pipe and hold its shape. Don’t overwhip. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag and cut a small tip.
- Pipe the cream into the cooled choux buns through the hole created earlier, making sure each one is filled completely.
- To make the vanilla icing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl, then spoon the icing over the top of each choux bun. Stack the smaller choux bun on top of the larger one.
- Decorate with Matchstick cookie arms and sprinkles for buttons. These will stick if you add them before the icing sets but use a little extra if needed.
- For the facial features, making royal icing. Use a stand mixer (or handheld electric whisk) fitted with a balloon whisk attachment to combine the egg white/aquafaba and icing sugar until you get a smooth consistency. Then add tiny amounts of extra egg white (or aquafaba) and/or icing sugar to get the right consistency. Add black and orange dye for the facial features, or use sprinkles. You can also use nuts, fondant or fruits to create accessories for their heads.
Nutrition
Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 432IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
Christmas With Kim-Joy: A Festive Collection Of Edible Cuteness by Kim-Joy is published by Quadrille. Photography by Ellis Parrinder.
Christmas with Kim-Joy: A Festive Collection of Edible Cuteness
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Kim-Joy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update on 2024-05-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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