PASTRY
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
4 eggs
BASIC PASTRY CREAM
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
- Arrange oven racks in top and middle positions. Preheat oven to 450F.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, combine milk, water, sugar, salt and butter; bring to a boil. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour all at once and stir until mixture comes away from the side of the pot. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook mixture, stirring all the while for 3 minutes longer.
- Remove from heat and turn out into a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer). Beat with an electric mixer (or with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer) for 3 minutes to cool somewhat. Continue to beat and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round or French pastry tip. Twist bag to enclose batter and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Pipe batter into two dozen 4-inch long batons, a scant 3/4 inch wide, allowing for equal space between them. Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 350F. Bake switching racks midway through for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden, puffed and crisp. Allow to cool on a rack.
- To make basic pastry cream, mix egg and sugar together in a large heatproof bowl. Sift flour and cornstarch together and add to egg mixture. Stir to form a smooth paste.
- Heat milk to a boil in a medium saucepan; remove from heat and whisk slowly into egg mixture. Return mixture to pot and set over medium low heat. Whisking constantly, bring mixture back to a boil; cook 1 minute longer. Pour into a heatproof bowl, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
- In a separate large bowl, whip cream to soft peaks. Add icing sugar and whip to stiff peaks.
- Stir chilled pastry crea; fold in one third of whipped cream. Fold in remaining whipped cream.
- Cut eclairs in half to form a top and bottom. Decoratively pipe desired filling onto bottoms. Decorate tops with appropriate glaze and place on top of pastry cream.
Makes 24
PASSION FRUIT AND RASPBERRY ECLAIRS
Flavour basic pastry cream by adding 1/2 tsp vanilla exact to milk before scalding; increase cornstarch by 1 tsp. Scoop the seeds and pulp from 5 passion fruit into a fine meshed sieve set over a bowl; using a spatula press mixture to release as much juice as possible. Discard seeds and measure 1/3 cup juice. Whisk into boiled and thickened custard. Chill as directed and precede to incorporate whipped cream.
For glaze mash 1/4 cup thawed frozen raspberries; add to 1 cup icing sugar. Stir to combine
LAVENDER AND LEMON ECLAIRS
Prior to beginning basic pastry cream, bring milk to a simmer in pot; add 2 tsp dried lavender and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain mixture, return milk to pot and proceed with basic pastry cream recipe from the beginning using lavender flavoured milk.
For glaze, combine 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest, 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 cup icing sugar; stir
PISTACHIO AND ORANGE ECLAIRS
Begin by making a pistachio paste by blanching 1/4 cup unsalted pistachios in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted to a clean dish towel, enclose and rub nuts between towel to remove skins. Leave skins behind and place pistachios in a food processor along with 1 tbsp ground almonds, 1 tbsp icing sugar, 3 drops almond extract and 1 drop green food colouring; process to a smooth paste. Whisk pistachio paste into chilled custard before folding in whipped cream.
For glaze combine 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest, 1 tbsp plus 1 stp plus orange juice, 1 tsp orange blossom water and 1 cup icing sugar, stir.
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