Saint Honore Gateau

. Sift flour into a bowl, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
. Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough.
. Press the dough together with your fingertips.
. Rest the dough in the refrigerator while making the choux pastry.

. Put water in a saucepan and add the butter with the salt. Heat gently .
. When the butter has melted, bring to the boil and add all the flour at once.
. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir the flour into the liquid to make a smooth paste which leaves the sides of the pan clean. Set aside to cool slightly.
. Add the egg yolks and beat well. Add the whole eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the paste is very glossy.

. Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 20 cm round. Place on a baking sheet.
. Put the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm nozzle; pipe a circle of it around the edge of the pastry. Brush with beaten egg.
. Use the remaining choux pastry to pipe 18 - 20 small puffs on a separate baking sheet.
. Bake both pastry round and puffs for 15 minutes at 200 deg C, then lower the oven temperature to 190°C for 10 - 15 minutes until the choux ring is well risen and golden brown.
. Slit the puffs to release the steam, then cool on wire racks.

. To make the pastry cream, separate 2 of the eggs. Reserve the whites.
. Combine yolks, whole egg and sugar in a bowl and beat well. Stir in the flours and vanilla essence.
. Heat the milk in a saucepan and gradually beat it into the egg mixture.
. Return the mixture to the clean pan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Boil for 2 - 3 minutes.
. Pour the mixture into a clean bowl, cover with buttered greaseproof paper and leave until cold.

. In a bowl, whip the cream until stiff. Place in a piping bag and fill the choux puffs.

. Combine the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
. Boil until the mixture turns a pale straw colour.
. Remove from heat and dip the bottom of each puff quickly in the syrup. Arrange on the choux round.
. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the pastry cream, adding any leftover whipped cream.
. Fill the pastry with the cream. Pour remaining caramel over the puffs/cake.