To make the chocolate sauce, melt the chocolate, together with 4 fl oz (120 ml) water, in a heatproof basin fitted over a saucepan of simmering water (being careful that the base of the bowl does not touch the water), stirring until you have a smooth sauce. Just before serving, split the choux buns in half, fill each one with a generous teaspoonful of whipped cream, then join the halves together again. Spoon or pour the melted chocolate over them and serve immediately. Waitrose has a range of sophisticated offerings this year, as well as some exotic flavour combinations to bring a new twist to classic Christmas dishes. Coffee Chocolate Profiteroles: Fill the choux buns with coffee-flavoured pastry cream and cover in a chocolate sauce. This is a popular flavour for éclairs in France. Some foods may lose some of their sparkle when frozen, so think about how you intend to use them. For example, soft cheeses such as brie or goats cheese which lose creaminess and become grainy, whilst harder cheeses will become crumbly and won't make for a star slice on the day.

Water - Milk and water can be used equally when making choux pastry. I've used only water, though, as the result is a crispier bun which works well alongside the ice cream filling. Without the milk, the buns take a little longer to turn golden brown in the oven. How to make your own pigs-in-blankets - what to use, how to store and the perfect finishing touches

Or, how about...?

Morrisons have some hearty options this year. If you’re not a fan of traditional turkey, why not try their Lambchetta? A mixture of lamb belly and loin, seasoned with festive spices and citrusy peel.

Piping bag:You can choose to use a reusable or a disposable piping bag. My preference is a 16Inch piping bag (even though I did use a much smaller one for the photos as my piping bags are a bright blue and wouldn't have looked great in the images!!) Line a large baking sheet (or two) with baking paper and pipe 25 small balls, allowing each enough room to rise. Gently smooth the top of each ball with a wet finger as this will make it crisper. Salted Caramel Cream Profiteroles: Swirl cooled homemade Salted Caramel Sauce through whipped cream to fill your choux buns. Drizzle extra sauce over the top and sprinkle with a little flaked sea salt.Ice Cream Scoop: The easiest way to scoop out the ice cream to fill the profiteroles. A dessert spoon dipped in hot water will also work. The chocolate sauce for profiteroles is simply made with melted chocolate and heavy cream, and it’s pure heaven.