Place the water and butter in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
When the mixture boils, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour, salt and baking powder all at once.
Stir with a spatula until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a single mass*.
Leave to cool for a few moments. Add the sugar, then the first egg and whisk vigorously until it is completely absorbed by the dough. Repeat with the remaining 2 eggs (this can be done with an electric mixer).
Preheat oven to 210°C (gas mark 7).
Place teaspoonfuls of dough on a buttered or parchment-covered baking sheet, spacing them well apart (2 sheets for this quantity). Add grains of pearl sugar to each cabbage, pressing them lightly into the dough.
Bake in an oven preheated to 210°C (gas mark 7) for 15-20 minutes (190°C is sufficient for a convection oven).
