Banana Eclairs with Custard

• banana chips↗

  for garnish (optional)

• edible gold spray↗

  or leaf, for garnish (optional)

• white chocolate↗200г g

  finely chopped

• lightly salted butter↗85г g

  cut into small cubes

• plain flour↗100г g
• large eggs↗3

  beaten

• overripe bananas2
• golden fine sugar↗100г g
• lemon juice1 ст. л. tbsp
• custard powder↗4 ст. л. tbsp
• milk↗300мл ml
• full‑fat cream150мл ml
• vanilla bean paste↗2 ч. л. tsp

  (we like the seeds, but you can use extract if you wish)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Place the butter in a saucepan, add 225 ml water. In a large bowl weigh the flour and set it aside. Bring the butter‑water mixture to a vigorous boil, add a pinch of salt, then cook until the butter melts, after which stir in the flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mass pulls away from the sides of the pan and is free of lumps. Transfer to a bowl, lift the paste off the sides to cool it faster, and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C with convection, gas 6) and prepare two sheets of parchment paper, cutting them to fit two trays. Using a ruler and pencil, mark 12 segments about 9 cm long on each sheet, leaving enough space between them. Flip the paper over. Prepare a pastry bag with a large round tip about 1.5 cm in diameter. When the flour paste has cooled but is not cold, gradually add the eggs drop by drop, beating well after each addition until you obtain a smooth dough that barely clings to the spoon. You may not need all the egg – add it slowly. Transfer the dough to the bag and use a little of it to attach the parchment to the molds.

3. 3

   Pipe the choux pastry onto the prepared sheets, aligning with the marked lines. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the eclairs rise and turn golden. For the last 5 minutes, swap the trays. The baked eclairs should be crisp and sound hollow when tapped. If needed, bake a single eclair to check whether the interior is fully dry; if it remains moist, the eclairs will collapse during cooling. After baking, let them cool completely. You can prepare them a day ahead – store in an airtight container, and before filling, toast them in the oven for 5‑10 minutes to make them crisp.

4. 4

   Now make the banana custard. Place the bananas, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor and blend to a puree. Transfer to a saucepan, bring to a gentle boil and cook a few minutes until the custard thickens. Mix the custard powder with 2‑3 tbsp milk to form a smooth paste, then add the remaining milk, cream and vanilla, stirring thoroughly. Pour this mixture into the banana puree and continue cooking, whisking with a balloon whisk until the custard becomes very thick and homogeneous. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film and chill for 2 hours or until cold.

5. 5

   Take 24 nice banana chips and spread them on a parchment‑lined tray. If desired, spray with edible gold spray or cover with a gold leaf. When assembling the eclairs, cut each lengthwise along one side. Transfer the banana custard to a pastry bag, cut off a tip and generously fill the eclairs with custard, arranging them on the tray as you go. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds to avoid burning. After filling, carefully dip the top of each eclair into the chocolate, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Place a gold banana chip on each eclair and leave on the tray for about 30 minutes for the chocolate to set. Serve within 3 hours.