Bake the puff pastry base

• Roll the puff pastry out and cut a round base.
• Prick with a fork and bake at 180 °C until golden and crisp.
• Cool completely on a rack.

Make the vanilla pastry cream

• Heat the milk with the vanilla bean and seeds.
• Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch.
• Pour the hot milk over the yolks, return to the pan and cook until thickened.
• Off the heat, stir in the butter and cool, covered.

Make the choux pastry

• Bring the water, butter and salt to a boil.
• Add the flour and stir until the dough pulls away from the pan.
• Beat in the eggs gradually until smooth and glossy.

Pipe and bake the choux

• Pipe small choux buns onto a baking tray.
• Bake at 180 °C until puffed and golden.
• Cool, then fill with pastry cream.

Coat the choux in caramel

• Melt the sugar into a golden caramel.
• Dip the top of each filled choux bun in the caramel.
• Let set on a tray.

Whip the vanilla ganache

• Heat the cream with the vanilla bean and seeds.
• Pour over the white chocolate and stir until smooth.
• Chill, then whip until light and fluffy.

Assemble the St. Honoré

• Spread pastry cream over the puff pastry base.
• Pipe the whipped ganache around the edge.
• Arrange the caramel-coated choux on top.