Eclairs

• salted butter↗170g lightly g

  cut into small cubes

• plain flour↗200g g
• eggs↗5 medium

  beaten

• milk↗300ml ml
• double cream↗150ml ml
• egg yolks↗3
• white sugar↗50g g
• cornstarch3 tbsp tbsp
• One of our filling flavouringsпосилання на рецепти в інструкції
• disposable pastry bags
• pastry bag tip1.5cm round

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   First, make the choux pastry. Place the butter in a saucepan with 450 ml of water. Sift the flour into a large bowl and set aside. Bring the butter and water to a rapid boil, then simmer over low heat until the butter melts, after which add the flour and whisk vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and is smooth. Transfer to a bowl, lift the thick paste up the sides to help it cool faster, and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C with convection/gas 6) and cut two sheets of parchment paper to fit two trays. Using a ruler and pen, mark ten lines about 12 cm long on each sheet, leaving enough space between them, then flip the paper over. Prepare a pastry bag with a large round tip about 1.5 cm in diameter.

3. 3

   When the flour paste has cooled but is not cold, begin adding the eggs gradually, whisking well after each addition until you obtain a smooth dough that barely drips off the tip of the spoon (a stand mixer can be used if available). You may not need to use all the egg; add it slowly. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag and use a little of the mixture to attach the parchment to the molds.

4. 4

   Pipe the choux pastry onto the tray using the lines as a guide. Pipe slowly so the eclairs are not too thin – each should be about 2.5 cm wide and 12 cm long. Bake for 35‑40 minutes, swapping the trays during the last 10 minutes. The pastry should rise, turn golden and sound hollow when tapped. If needed, bake a single eclair to ensure the interior is fully dry – if it is still moist, the eclair will collapse during cooling. After baking, let cool completely. (You can make them a day ahead, store in an airtight container, and reheat in the oven for 5‑10 minutes for crispness before filling.) Cut each eclair in half with a serrated knife.

5. 5

   Now make the crème pâtissière. Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and heat until it just begins to simmer, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl, add sugar and starch, and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into the milk, stir, then return to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5‑8 minutes until the cream thickens to a rich custard consistency. Pass through a sieve into a jug, cover the surface with film and chill for at least 3 hours, up to 3 days.

6. 6

   To fill and glaze the eclairs, choose one of our flavours – raspberry and cardamom, lemon and passion fruit, salted caramel with popcorn, or elderflower with meringue. For additional help, watch our video on making choux pastry and eclairs.