This French pastry is made with pâte à choux, shaped in an oblong vessel that transports whipped cream or custard cream to your mouth, formerly finished off with a chocolate ganache. The new modern French eclair sheds it's ganache coat for gorgeous and artistic edible works of art.
150geggsabout 3, room temperature and lightly beaten
Icing sugarfor dusting
3cupsicing sugar
4 to 6tablespoonshot water
Gel food colour
Toppings of your choice
Instructions
Making the custard cream first, sift the flour and the cornflour into a bowl. Mix in the egg yolks and sugar to form a smooth granular paste.
Bring the milk to light boil in a saucepan. Pour the boiling milk onto the egg mixture, bit by bit, and stir very well. Return the mixture to the stove on a medium heat and whisk continuously until it returns to the boil. Lower the heat and cook until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, mix in the vanilla, cover the surface directly with saran-wrap and cool completely.
For the pâte à choux, in a saucepan over medium heat, bring the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt to a simmer.
Remove from the stove and add all the bread flour in one shot. Stir very vigorously until you get a ball of dough. Return to the stove on a low heat and cook while mixing until the dough reaches 75°C (170°F).
Drop the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer) on low with half of the eggs. When well combined , add the rest of the beaten eggs. When incorporated, keep mixing for a minute or two until the dough is smooth.
Fill a piping bag with a 1/2 inch tip with the dough. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pipe the eclairs 5 inches long and and about 1 inch wide, while holding the bag at a 45°. Leave a space of about 2 inches between the eclairs.
Dust with icing sugar and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for forty minutes, or until a dark a golden brown.
Transfer to a wire wack and poke 3 wholes on the underside of the eclairs to let the steam escape. Cool completely before filling.
Fill a piping bag with the cooled custard cream, fitted with a #12 tip, and pipe the cream into the eclairs through the 3 wholes until the eclair is full.
Place icing sugar in a bowl. Mix in 4 tablespoons of hot water. Divide if you plan on doing different colors. Add the food coloring to each batch and mix well. Now add a little of the hot water at a time until you get runny but still thick smooth texture.
Dip the top of each eclair into the fondant icing and clean the edges around with your finger. Decorate with your topping immediately. Repeat for each eclair.