Almond Pastry Rings

Preheat oven to 220°C (fan-forced). Grease and line a baking tray with baking paper.

To make choux pastry: place the milk, butter and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat.

Add the flour, sugar and salt, and stir with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes until mixture is smooth and comes away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer to a bowl and whisk for 1 minute, then slowly add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition, until smooth.

Transfer pastry mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm nozzle. Pipe six 8cm rings onto baking tray, then place flaked almonds on top of rings. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden and puffed.

Turn the oven off, then leave door ajar and rest pastry in oven for 10 minutes to dry out. Remove from oven. Set aside until completely cool.

For the cream filling: in the bowl of a stand mixer place cream, vanilla, cream stabiliser and almond butter. Whisk on high speed for 2-3 minutes until it looks thick enough to pipe.

Transfer cream mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.

Cut the pastry rings in half and pipe cream onto the bottom halves. Sandwich with pastry tops and dust with icing sugar and flaked almonds to serve.