Paris brest

1.Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease oven trays.

2.To make choux pastry, combine the water, butter and caster sugar in medium saucepan; bring to the boil. Add flour, beat with wooden spoon over heat until mixture comes away from base of pan. Transfer pastry to medium bowl; beat in two of the eggs, one at a time. Whisk remaining egg with a fork, beat enough of the egg into the pastry until it becomes smooth and glossy but will hold its shape.

3.Spoon pastry into piping bag fitted with 1.5cm fluted tube; pipe 5.5 cm rings, about 5cm apart on trays. Sprinkle top with nuts.

4.Bake rings 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 180°C; bake 15 minutes. Using serrated knife, split rings in half, remove any soft centers; return to trays, bake further 5 minutes or until puffs are dry. Cool on trays.

5.Meanwhile, make the praline. Line tray with baking paper. Stir sugar and the water in small saucepan over high heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil, uncovered, without stirring, until golden brown. Allow bubbles to subside; add nuts; do not stir. Pour mixture onto tray; leave praline to set at room temperature.

6.Break praline into pieces, then process until fine; fold into whipped cream.

7.Spread cream into pastry bases; top with pastry tops. Dust with sifted icing sugar.