Eclairs with vanilla creme filling and chocolate glaze topping
Choux pastry
1 cup (125 g) flour
100 ml milk
100 ml water
2 tsp (10 g) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
5 1/2 tbsp (80g) unsalted butter
4 eggs
Vanilla Pastry Cream
2 cups (480 ml) milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup (70g) sugar
1/3 cup (40g) cornstarch
1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
Chocolate Glaze
200 g chocolate (55-70 cocoa), cut in smaller pieces
2/3 cup (155 ml) whipping cream
Method
First prepare the pastry cream to have it ready by the time the eclairs are baked.
Whisk the egg yolks with sugar until slightly pale.
Incorporate the cornstarch. Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour about a third of the hot milk over the egg yolks mixture. Pour the whole mixture into the saucepan over the milk. Bring to a boil while stirring and thickens. Keep enough over heat to cook all the cornstarch. Add vanilla extract.
Pour the cream into a clean bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes then incorporate the butter while stirring. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent forming a skin on the surface. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 180C.
Prepare the choux pastry. Sift the flour. In a saucepan bring the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter to a boil.
Remove from heat and add flour all at once and incorporate mixing energetically with a wooden spoon until homogenous.
Return the saucepan over low heat and while stirring cook for 1 minute or two to pull out the moisture from the batter and until it pulls away from the sides of the pan. You will see some of the dough sticks to the bottom of the pan.
Continued on next page (page 2)
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