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recipes:sweets:eclairs [2011/02/28 22:11] – created christianrecipes:sweets:eclairs [2011/03/16 09:59] (current) christian
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-====== Eclairs ======+====== Eclairs (Larousse Gastronomique) ====== 
 ===== Choux Pastry ===== ===== Choux Pastry =====
  
-  * 4 tbsp water +  * 125ml water 
-  * 4 tbsp whole milk +  * 125ml milk 
-  * 50g/2oz unsalted butter, at room temperature +  * pinch of salt 
-  * tsp caster sugar +  * 65g butter, cut into small pieces 
-  * pinch sea salt +  * tsp caster sugar 
-  * 100g/4oz plain flour +  * 125g plain flour 
-  * 4 medium free-range eggs, beaten+  * 4 medium eggs 
 + 
 +Put the water, milk, salt, butter and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add all the flour at once and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Put back in the hob and stir until it comes if the sides of the saucepan. 
 + 
 +Let cool down a bit, and beat in the eggs one by one until you have a smooth paste. Cool down, and pipe into either small balls (5cm) or eclairs. 
 + 
 +Bake for 10 minutes at 220 Celsius and a further 10 minutes at 180 Celsius. 
 + 
 + 
 +===== Pastry Cream ===== 
 +  * 7 medium free-range egg yolks 
 +  * 75g/3oz caster sugar 
 +  * 25g/1oz plain flour 
 +  * 4 tsp cornflour 
 +  * 500ml/18fl oz whole milk 
 +  * 1 tsp vanilla syrup 
 +  * caster sugar, for dusting 
 + 
 +In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until they turn a pale blonde colour. 
 + 
 +Whisk in the flour and cornflour and set aside. 
 + 
 +Place the milk and vanilla syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for about five minutes. 
 + 
 +Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 30 seconds. 
 + 
 +Pour the hot milk onto the egg mixture, whisking all the time, then return the mixture to the pan. It is important to pour the hot milk onto the cold eggs before you return the mixture to the pan to prevent the eggs from scrambling. 
 + 
 +Bring the mixture back to the boil and simmer for one minutewhisking continuously, or until smooth. 
 + 
 +Pour the cream into a clean bowl and dust with icing sugar to prevent a skin forming. 
 + 
 + 
 +===== Filling ===== 
 + 
 +  * 20g/¾oz unsweetened chocolate, 100% cocoa solids 
 +  * 450g/1lb pastry cream (crème patissière), at room temperature 
 +  * 1 tbsp strong cocoa powder, sifted 
 + 
 + 
 +For the filling, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water or the chocolate will burn.
  
-Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.+Pour the melted chocolate into the pastry cream, mix in the cocoa powder and whisk together to a smooth consistency. You could chill the mixture at this point for 30 minutes, then whisk again before you fill the éclairs, to give a creamier mouth-feel to the filling.
  
-For the choux pastryplace the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in medium saucepan over high heat and bring the mixture to boil.+When you are ready to fill the éclairstransfer the filling to piping bag fitted with 0.5cm/¼in nozzle. Pierce the underside of each éclair four times with the tip of the nozzle, gently squirting little of the filling into the éclair as you do so.
  
-Remove the pan from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, quickly beat in the flour until the mixture is completely smooth.+===== Glaze ===== 
 +  * 200g/7oz white fondant icing 
 +  * 1 tbsp cocoa powder 
 +  * 1-2 tsp water
  
-Turn the heat down to mediumreturn the pan to the hob and cook for about one minute, beating all the time, or until the mixture comes away from the edge of the pan.+For the glazegently warm the fondant in a small pan over a low heat until it reaches body temperature.
  
-Remove the pan from the heat and gradually beat in the eggs until you have a smooth paste.+Stir in the cocoa powder and enough of the water to make a smooth paste, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm/½in nozzle.
  
-Transfer the paste to a large piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm/½in fluted nozzle and let the mixture to cool for about five minutes in the bag to stiffen slightly before you begin the piping.+Pipe the glaze onto the top of each éclair, removing any excess with the back of your finger, then place in the fridge for the glaze to set before serving.
  
-Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper and pipe on 12 éclairs, each about 15cm/6in long. Alternatively, for a more professional and uniform finish, pipe four rows of pastry, each about 36cm/14in long, onto a non-stick tray and freeze. Cut the frozen strips into three and either defrost and cook as below, or bake from frozen and add five minutes to the cooking time. 
  
-Bake the éclairs in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden-brown, then transfer to a rack and leave to cool. 
  
recipes/sweets/eclairs.txt · Last modified: 2011/03/16 09:59 by christian