Would you like a Summer Éclair ?

If you possibly  adore these kind  of pastries like me, Here there is the best  three Recipes  for Summer Éclairs by

Joakim Prat, executive pastry chef at the specialist patisserie Maître Choux, began his career aged just 16 and his CV now boasts positions in some of the world’s finest restaurants (together holding no less then nine Michelin stars.) Recognised as one of the best pastry chefs in England, he was awarded the gold medal for the UK best dessert of the year 2014. Here he shares the secrets behind his famously impressive éclairs.

Make the choux pastry first, before deciding which of the decadent fillings – lemon meringue, salted caramel or chocolate – to fill your éclairs with. If you’re feeling extra insdulgent, try all three.

Choux Pastry

• 200g whole milk
• 300g water
• 240g butter
• 10g sugar
• 8g salt
• 375g flour
• 500g eggs (approx. 10 eggs)

1. 1. First preheat your oven to 180 degrees, fan off, and to the minimum humidity setting.
   2. Bring to boil the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt in a pan, keeping a close watch on it. As soon as it is boiling, add the flour and stir firmly with the spatula for one minute or so, until the mix doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan anymore – when it no longer sticks that means it is ready.
   3. Take the pan off the heat and add the eggs little by little until the mixture is smooth but not too runny. The hard part in making choux pastry for an untrained eye is in this step: if the mix is too thick it needs more eggs, however the eggs must be added slowly because if it becomes too runny then it will not rise when cooked.  Chef’s tip: trace a deep line into the choux pastry with your spatula. If the line closes up slowly, then it’s ready!
   4. Transfer the choux pastry into your pastry bag and pipe into an éclair shape on a lined baking tray. Do not pipe them too close together as they need space to rise. The recipe should make 20 pieces.
   5. Bake for 35 minutes until golden.

LEMON MERINGUE ÉCLAIR

Lemon Cream

• 250g lemon juice (approx. 5 lemons)
• 220g sugar
• Zest of 5 lemons
• 270g eggs
• 300g butter
• 100g greek yogurt
• 5g of soaked vegetable gelatin leaves

Lemon Meringue

• 100g egg white
• 180g sugar (divided in 3 portions of 60 g)
• 10g lemon juice
• Zest of 2 lemons

1. Before you start, soak the gelatin in cold water.
2. Make the lemon cream first, by bringing to boil the lemon juice, sugar and the lemon zests. Once it is boiling, add the eggs and cook for 3 minutes until boiling while mixing sharply with a whisk.
3. Once it is cooked and still hot, add the gelatin and the butter, then use your hand blender until the mixture is soft
4. When it is cold, add the Greek yogurt to the mix and stir with the spatula. It is now ready to use.
5. Next make the meringue by whisking the egg whites then add the sugar. Carry on whisking until the texture is thick then add the lemon juice and the lemon zests.
6. The devil is in the details, so this is the part of the recipe where you can be creative and pipe the meringue your own way: cut the éclair horizontally 1/3 from the top, so the base is 2/3 of the initial height. The base is what we will work with, so feel free to just eat the top for a mid preparation snack. You deserve it.
7. Fill the base with the lemon cream and pipe the meringue on top using your favorite nozzle.
8. Sprinkle some zest on the top for effect and it is ready to serve.

SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL ÉCLAIR

For this recipe you will need an éclair-shape cutter

Caramel Cream

• 18g sugar (For the egg yolk mixture)
• 80g egg yolk
• 180g sugar (For the caramel)
• 525g whole milk
• 290g salted butter
• 4.5g of soaked vegetable gelatin leaves

Topping

• 250g milk chocolate

1. Before you start, soak the gelatin in cold water.
2. Make the caramel cream by mixing the sugar with the egg yolk to get a smooth mixture and keep aside.
3. Make a dry caramel with the sugar by putting the sugar in a pan, then heat it until it melts into a golden blonde caramel.
4. As soon as the caramel is the right colour, carefully add the milk little by little. Bring the mixture to a boil until the caramel dissolves into it.
5. Add half of the boiling caramel and milk mixture into the egg yolk and sugar mix that you prepared to start. Stir for a bit, then pour everything back into the pan and bring again to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes while stirring.
6. Once the cream is cooked, add the salted butter and the soaked gelatin, then blend it all together with a hand blender.
7. Wrap in cling film and keep refrigerated until served.
8. To make the caramel-coloured topping, melt the milk chocolate then leave it out of the heat until its temperature reaches 29 degrees.
9. Once at the right temperature, spread the chocolate into a very thin layer over a sheet of baking paper and leave it to set slightly (but not completely).
10. Cut it in the shape of an éclair with the cutter.To finish, cut a small hole at the base of your éclair, and pipe the cream into it until its whole length is completely filled. The more generous, the better!
11. Place the éclair-shaped chocolate piece on top, and it’s ready to be served.

CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIR

 

Chocolate Cream

• 20g sugar
• 90g egg yolk
• 40g maizena
• 550g whole milk
• 40g butter
• 240g dark chocolate 70% (melted)
• 150g whipping cream

Chocolate Glaze

• 150g whipping cream
• 90g sugar
• 30g cacao powder
• 7g of soaked vegetable gelatin leaves

1. Start by making the chocolate cream by mixing the sugar with the egg yolk and the maizena to get a smooth mixture and keep aside.
2. Bring the milk to a boil then add half of the boiling milk into the mixture, stir, and pour everything back into the same pan. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes.
3. Add in the butter and the melted chocolate, blend with a hand blender until smooth, hen cover and put in the fridge.
4. Once the chocolate mixture is cold, whip the cream then add it to the mix and blend one last time.
5. Next make the chocolate glaze. Before you start, soak the gelatin in cold water.
6. Pour the cream and sugar together into a pan and bring to a boil.
7. Add the cacao powder and boil for 3 minutes while stirring.
8. Add in the gelatin while the mix is still hot and blend with a hand blender, before allowing it to cool in the fridge.
9. Cut a small hole at the base of your éclair, and pipe the cream into it until its whole length is completely filled.
10. Put the chocolate glaze in the microwave, mix with a hand blender for texture and dip the top part of the éclair into the chocolate to get the glazing where you want it to be.
11. Decorate as you like then they are ready to be served. Enjoy!

Via British Vogue

Big Thanks !