AuthorMarika RosebergDifficultyIntermediatePre-heat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Pour water in a small saucepan, add salt, sugar, butter and bring it to boil over a moderate heat.
Once boiling, remove from heat and add sifted flour, cocoa and food colouring. Return to the heat and mix until the mixture no longer sticks to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and rest for 7 Minutes
Beat in the eggs one at a time until the pastry becomes shiny and smooth and has a dropping consistency. You may not need to add the whole of the fourth egg.
Using a piping bag, form eclairs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 Minutes. Once baked cool completely on a cooling rack.
Prepare crème pâtissière. Pour the milk and the cream into a saucepan. Split vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and add them to the saucepan. Bring it to boil over a low/medium heat.
Once the milk starts boiling, remove from the heat. In a clean & dry bowl whisk eggs, sugar and cornflour until pale yellow. Gradually (a couple of tablespoons at a time) start adding heated cream onto the egg mixture.
Once both mixtures are combined pour it back into the sauce pan and return to the heat. Continuously stir the cream until it becomes thick. Remove from the heat and pass your crème pâtissière through a sieve to remove any potential lumps.
Stir in the butter and cool crème pâtissière by placing a bowl in an ice bath and stirring. Once cool, cover with clingfilm and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours to set.
Transfer crème pâtissière to a piping bag with a filling nozzle and fill the eclairs.
Make chocolate glaze. Bring about an inch of water to boil in a saucepan. Set a heatproof bowl in the mouth of the pot making sure water does not touch the bowl. Place chocolate and butter in the bowl and stir until melted.
Cover the top of eclairs with chocolate glaze and decorate as desired - this time I used freeze dried strawberries. Serve.
Ingredients
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Pour water in a small saucepan, add salt, sugar, butter and bring it to boil over a moderate heat.
Once boiling, remove from heat and add sifted flour, cocoa and food colouring. Return to the heat and mix until the mixture no longer sticks to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and rest for 7 Minutes
Beat in the eggs one at a time until the pastry becomes shiny and smooth and has a dropping consistency. You may not need to add the whole of the fourth egg.
Using a piping bag, form eclairs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 Minutes. Once baked cool completely on a cooling rack.
Prepare crème pâtissière. Pour the milk and the cream into a saucepan. Split vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and add them to the saucepan. Bring it to boil over a low/medium heat.
Once the milk starts boiling, remove from the heat. In a clean & dry bowl whisk eggs, sugar and cornflour until pale yellow. Gradually (a couple of tablespoons at a time) start adding heated cream onto the egg mixture.
Once both mixtures are combined pour it back into the sauce pan and return to the heat. Continuously stir the cream until it becomes thick. Remove from the heat and pass your crème pâtissière through a sieve to remove any potential lumps.
Stir in the butter and cool crème pâtissière by placing a bowl in an ice bath and stirring. Once cool, cover with clingfilm and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours to set.
Transfer crème pâtissière to a piping bag with a filling nozzle and fill the eclairs.
Make chocolate glaze. Bring about an inch of water to boil in a saucepan. Set a heatproof bowl in the mouth of the pot making sure water does not touch the bowl. Place chocolate and butter in the bowl and stir until melted.
Cover the top of eclairs with chocolate glaze and decorate as desired - this time I used freeze dried strawberries. Serve.
