Most of the shops carry Eclairs that are filled with Creme Pattissiere. The recipe I tried out, recommended a fresh cream filling. However, I was out of heavy cream. Therefore, I decided to use a custard filling instead.
This recipe is from the book Success With Pastry, by Catherine Atkinson. I have used the book version of choux pastry and the chocolate topping. The custard recipe is from my pineapple flan recipe.
Choux Pastry
65grm plain flour
a pinch of salt
50 grm butter, diced
150 ml water
2 eggs slightly beaten (you may not need all of it)
Pre heat oven to 200 deg C
Grease baking sheet with butter and keep aside
Sift the flour and salt
In a heavy bottom pan, heat the butter and water gently till the butter melts. Ensure that you do not bring this to boil before the butter has completely melted.
Increase heat and bring to a rolling boil.
Remove pan from the heat and add the flour to it immediately
Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula till the flour is fully incorporated into the liquid
Return this to a low heat.
Beat the mixture till it comes off easily from the sides of the pan.
remove from heat and cool for 2-3 mins
Add the beaten eggs slowly, incorporating after each addition, till you get a smooth, shiny paste which is thick enough to hold its shape. You need not use the entire mixture for this.
Transfer this pastry into a piping bag and pipe onto the baking sheet to desired length.
Use a wet knife to cut off ends.
Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown. The pastry would puff up.
Remove from the oven and make a slit in the middle, allowing the heat to escape.
Bring your oven temperature down to 180 deg C and cook this for a further 5 mins.
Keep aside and cool.
Custard
This custard is best when you make it the day before and keep in the fridge to chill.
500 ml milk
90 grm powdered sugar
90 grm powdered sugar (this is not a repetition)
2 eggs - yolk and white seperated
3 tbsp custard powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
mix the cornflour in a 3 tbsp milk.
add the egg yolk and mix well.
combine the rest of the milk and 90 grm sugar in a heavy bottom pan.
add the cornflour mixture.
stirring continuously, bring the above to boil.
you should get a smooth consistency and your custard to ready to removed from heat if it coats the back of a spoon nicely.
add vanilla essence and keep aside to cool
Beat the egg whites well till soft peaks form.
Add in the other 90 grms of sugar and mix well.
Add this to the custard mixture and stir well till totally incorporated
Keep this mixture in the refrigerator till required. Will last for a week or so.
Fill this custard in a piping bag and pipe into the eclairs till they are full.
Melt chocolate (about 100 grms) with 2 tbsp water in microwave or over the pot of boiling water. Add 20 grms of butter and mix well.
Spoon or pipe the mixture onto the eclairs
You can serve this once done or you can serve this cold.
These needs to be eaten within 24 hrs
This recipe is from the book Success With Pastry, by Catherine Atkinson. I have used the book version of choux pastry and the chocolate topping. The custard recipe is from my pineapple flan recipe.
Choux Pastry
65grm plain floura pinch of salt
50 grm butter, diced
150 ml water
2 eggs slightly beaten (you may not need all of it)
Pre heat oven to 200 deg C
Grease baking sheet with butter and keep aside
Sift the flour and salt
In a heavy bottom pan, heat the butter and water gently till the butter melts. Ensure that you do not bring this to boil before the butter has completely melted.
Increase heat and bring to a rolling boil.
Remove pan from the heat and add the flour to it immediately
Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula till the flour is fully incorporated into the liquid
Return this to a low heat.
Beat the mixture till it comes off easily from the sides of the pan.
Add the beaten eggs slowly, incorporating after each addition, till you get a smooth, shiny paste which is thick enough to hold its shape. You need not use the entire mixture for this.
Transfer this pastry into a piping bag and pipe onto the baking sheet to desired length.
Use a wet knife to cut off ends.
Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown. The pastry would puff up.
Remove from the oven and make a slit in the middle, allowing the heat to escape.
Bring your oven temperature down to 180 deg C and cook this for a further 5 mins.
Keep aside and cool.
Custard
This custard is best when you make it the day before and keep in the fridge to chill.
500 ml milk
90 grm powdered sugar90 grm powdered sugar (this is not a repetition)
2 eggs - yolk and white seperated
3 tbsp custard powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
mix the cornflour in a 3 tbsp milk.
add the egg yolk and mix well.
combine the rest of the milk and 90 grm sugar in a heavy bottom pan.
add the cornflour mixture.stirring continuously, bring the above to boil.
you should get a smooth consistency and your custard to ready to removed from heat if it coats the back of a spoon nicely.
add vanilla essence and keep aside to cool
Add in the other 90 grms of sugar and mix well.
Add this to the custard mixture and stir well till totally incorporated
Keep this mixture in the refrigerator till required. Will last for a week or so.
Fill this custard in a piping bag and pipe into the eclairs till they are full.
Melt chocolate (about 100 grms) with 2 tbsp water in microwave or over the pot of boiling water. Add 20 grms of butter and mix well.
Spoon or pipe the mixture onto the eclairs
You can serve this once done or you can serve this cold.
These needs to be eaten within 24 hrs
