– choux pastry, – pastry cream, – white pastry fondant.
Material used
– micro-perforated baking mat
– fluted tip
– pastry bag
Ingredients
Choux pastry ✔60g water ✔60g milk ✔70g flour ✔8g cocoa powder ✔55g butter ✔Salt ✔1 teaspoon sugar ✔2 or 3 eggs (depending on size)
Pastry cream ✔400g milk ✔60 g sugar ✔4 egg yolks ✔25 g cornstarch ✔35 g butter ✔A little rum
Icing ✔115g white fondant ✔30g glucose +coffee or chocolate extract
The recipe
For 6 to 7 éclairs
Choux pastry ✔60g water ✔60g milk ✔70g flour ✔8g cocoa powder ✔55g butter ✔Salt ✔1 teaspoon sugar ✔2 or 3 eggs (depending on size)
+powdered sugar and cocoa butter
Heat the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the flour/cocoa mixture all at once. Mix well to dry out the dough for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the beaten eggs gradually, mixing well between each egg.
Poach the éclairs on a baking sheet lined with a microperforated baking mat, using a fluted tip and sprinkle with a mixture of powdered sugar and cocoa butter powder. Bake at 175°C for 35 to 40 minutes (time may vary according to oven). Place a tea towel over the oven door to allow steam to escape, then cool on a wire rack.
Icing ✔115g white fondant ✔30g glucose +coffee or chocolate extract
Pour all ingredients into saucepan. Heat the white fondant to 60°C in a bain-marie. Take a small portion of fondant and add either melted chocolate or, for me, coffee extract to color it. Fill a piping bag. Quickly pour the white fondant onto the silicone tray, then poach the colored fondant on top, using a wooden skewer, for example, to create the characteristic millefeuille lines. Place in the freezer for a few hours.
Pastry cream ✔400g milk ✔60 g sugar ✔4 egg yolks ✔25 g cornstarch ✔35 g butter ✔A little rum
Mix the yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl and heat the milk again. Pour hot milk over sugar/yolk mixture. Stir. Pour back into saucepan. Stir until thickened. Remove from heat and add rum. Mix well. Finally, add the butter, cut into pieces. Set aside in a bowl, filter and chill.
Assembly
Remove the crème pâtissière from the fridge. Loosen it slightly with a spatula, then fill a pastry bag fitted with a pastry bag nozzle. Make two small holes under each éclair. Poach the cream.
Place frozen fondant on each éclair. Chill until ready to eat.