Chocolate and Raspberry Eclairs
I may be alone today, bt it is still a holiday! Thus, I am celebrating with these beautiful Chocolate and Raspberry Eclairs. Happy Easter, friends!
Ingredients (makes 4 stuffed éclairs):
1 teaspoon Homemade Vanilla Extract
70 grams/2.5 ounces good quality dark chocolate (at least 65% cocoa solids)
¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
a dozen fresh raspberries
Pour double cream into a small saucepan. Add Vanilla Extract, and heat over medium-low heat.
Meanwhile, roughly chop dark chocolate and put in a medium bowl.
Once the cream is simmering, pour over the chocolate. Cover with a lid, and let sit, a couple of minutes. Then, stir energetically with a rubber spatula until you have a smooth and shiny ganache. Place in the refrigerator, to chill, at least a couple of hours.
Preheat oven to 210°C/410°F. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Combine water, milk and butter in a large saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat. Once mixture is slowly boiling and butter is melted, remove from the heat and add both flours all at once, stirring well with a wooden spoon until a soft ball form. Return over low heat and cook, about 2 minutes, until a slight film forms at the bottom of the saucepan, stirring often. Set aside and let cool slightly.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until you get a smooth, shiny, soft-peak paste.
Spoon choux pastry into a piping bag, fitted with a large (1-cm/0.4″) star nozzle and pipe choux pastry into 14-cm/5.5″ long éclairs onto one of the baking trays until you have ten. With the remaining choux pastry you could pipe more éclairs or choux on the second baking tray. Place baking trays in the hot oven. Bake at 210°C/410°F, for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Using a skewer, carefully piercethree holes at the bottom of each éclair, to let the steam escape and put them back in the warm oven to dry out, 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
For this recipe, you will only need four éclairs. The others (and choux) will freeze well, stored in zip-lock bags and can be kept up to three months in the freezer. You will only need to thaw them before using in sweet or savoury recipes.
Once the chocolate ganache has chilled, beat with an hand mixer, gradually increasing speed to high, until ganache becomes fluffy and a paler shade of brown. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
With a serrated knife, gently cut the tops off each éclair. Pipe whipped chocolate ganache generously on the bottom of each. Gently press raspberries in the ganache of each éclair. Gently press éclair tops onto each éclair. Dust with Icing Sugar.
Enjoy Chocolate and Raspberry Eclairs immediately, with a glass of chilled Champagne or other sparkling wine, or chill until serving time. Happy Easter!
