The next big thing - Chocolate Eclairs

I love choux paste. It's versatile, delicious and actually quite easy to make.
 
UK paper, The Independent, has tipped them as the next big thing; bigger than cupcakes, or even macaroons. They are being dressed up in all sorts of incarnations; something which suits them indeed, as the relatively plain bun can be filled with any number of fillings and adorned with whatever topping you like. I really like the pastry cream fillings, but my family always wants just good old Chantilly cream.

Thanks to Jen from Utterly in Love for shooting this cover photo as part of an up and coming advert for this blog in Hazed Magazine.










Choux Paste Buns for making Chocolate Eclairs

200ml water
85g butter
1 dessertspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
145g plain flour
4 to 5 eggs depending on the size - 245g weight once shelled

Preheat the oven to 200deg. C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and grease or spray with butter or a non-stick spray.

Bring the butter, water, sugar and salt to the boil in a large saucepan.











Take from the heat and add the flour at once and beat until the mixture leaves the sides of the saucepan. Return to a low heat and stir the mixture for a few minutes in order to evaporate more water from the dough.










Transfer the mixture to the bowl of the beater and spread out to cool until just warm.

I usually give the flour dough a good mix with the whisk attachment in order to speed the cooling and develop the gluten in the flour. 







Lightly beat the eggs with a fork and slowly add to the dough in five parts, thoroughly beating between each addition. the mixture should be smooth and glossy.

Check the consistency of the dough before adding the final addition of egg, as the mixture should be of 'dropping consistency'. That means that it only just drops from the wooden spoon dropped back into the bowl.






Pipe the mixture into the baking tray.

Try to add height to the piped eclairs. I use a star nozzle in order to form a rougher textured bun.










Leave plenty of space between the buns to allow for rising.

Push any little peaks in the piped mixture down with wet hands.










Bake for 20 minutes at 200deg. C, then turn the oven down to 175deg and bake a further 20 minutes.

The buns should be golden brown and a nice crispy texture.

Allow to cool before piercing a hole in the base and using a piping bag to fill with Chantilly Cream - whip about 250ml cream with a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. 












Make the chocolate icing by combining 2 tablespoons of melted butter with 2 tablespoons of sifted cocoa powder, 2 cups of icing sugar and enough warm water to make a nice smooth paste. The icing should easily spread on the eclairs, but be firm enough to not run off.

Eclairs are such a great treat for any occasion. The unfilled buns can be kept in an air tight container in the fridge for a few days or frozen for up to month.


Move over macaroon, here comes the eclair. 

   

Recipes By Request: Passionfruit Cupcakes and Toffee Coated Cream Puffs

 After the bustle of last week's party preparations and celebrations, we have had a rather laid back weekend: swimming, a bit of grocery and a walk around the market. Little Miss 4 is enjoying playing with all the lovely and very generous birthday gifts her buddies gave her.

I have had a couple of requests for party food recipes, and as with all recipes I'm more than happy to share them. A successful recipe shared is a priceless gift to the world. 
I haven't recorded them tutorial style as time pressures last weekend meant that I didn't photograph any of the baking process. If you're not sure of any of the processes, just ask and I will be more than happy to oblige you with an answer.

Passion fruit Cupcakes
This is one of my own adaptations on a lemon cupcake recipe.

125g butter - softened
2/3 cup caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
 2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons sweetened passion fruit pulp - with the seeds sieved out

Preheat the oven to 180 deg. C. Ensure your eggs and milk are at room temperature.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and passion fruit pulp, followed by the eggs (Add the eggs to the butter mix in two parts to avoid the mixture curdling.) Beat until smooth. 
Sift the flour and baking powder together. Fold into the butter egg mix alternately with the milk.
To save time, I piped the mixture into the cup cake cases, but spooning it in is just as good.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the cup cake. A tooth pick inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Passion fruit Frosting

2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sweetened passion fruit pulp
250g butter - softened

Place the water and sugar into a small saucepan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Once dissolves do not stir, just leave to boil until the sugar reaches 120 deg. C
While the sugar is boiling beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Once the sugar reaches 120 deg. C. pour it, in a thin stream, over the beaten whites until a shiny meringue forms. Beat until the mixture cools enough for the boil to be warm but not hot. Now put the softened butter in a few tablespoons at a time. Beat until the whole mixture is soft and white. Now add the passion fruit pulp, with its seeds, and beat briefly until combined.
I used a star nozzle to pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

Toffee Coated Cream Puffs
These are inspired by Croquenbouche choux buns, except that I have filled them with cream instead of pastry cream. I got the Pate a Choux recipe from book The Roux Brothers on Patisserie by French cooking and baking legends Michel and Albert Roux.

125ml water
125ml milk
100g butter - cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
150g flour
4 eggs - 240g weight

Preheat the oven to 220 deg. C.
Cooking the paste: Put the water, milk, diced butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan, set over a high heat and boil for 1 minute, stirring with a spatula. Take the pan from the heat and, stirring all the time, quickly add the sifted flour. Stir until smooth.
Now 'dry out' the mixture by replacing it on the heat and stirring with a spatula for 1 minute. The mixture will begin to poach and some of the water will evaporate. Tip the paste into a bowl - I used the beater bowl - and allow to cool a little.
Adding the eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time using the electric beater until the mixture is smooth.
Piping the paste: Choose a round nozzle and pipe out small choux buns onto non-stick sprayed baking paper.
Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 180 deg. C and leave the buns to dry out for another 10 minutes. The puffs should be quite crisp and dry.

Toffee Coating
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon liquid glucose

250ml of cream and 2 tablespoons of icing sugar for filling

Put all the ingredients into a medium sized pan and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Once dissolved stop stirring and leave to boil until it reaches 160 deg. C. It should be a very clear amber colour.
Dip the top of the choux buns into the toffee one at a time and place onto baking paper. Be very careful not to burn your finger tips on the hot sugar. If the toffee cools and becomes too thick, carefully return to the heat and move the pan around until it becomes liquid again. Be careful not to allow it to colour any further. 
Once the toffee is cold, cut the bottom from each puff and fill with whipped cream. Replace the bottoms and pile onto a plate to serve. The cream should start to soften the buns. 

The sticky lemon slice in the first photo is a real favourite and already on the blog.

Enjoy your baking!