Eclairs are a classic French dessert invented by the chef Marie Antoine Karen. This delicious and sophisticated treat can be purchased at the store or prepared at home.
To make choux pastry, you will need:
- wheat flour - 150 g;
- chicken egg - 4 pcs.;
- butter - 70 g;
- water - 250 ml;
- salt - on the tip of the knife.
For eclairs cream you will need:
- sugar - 65 g;
- milk - 350 ml;
- butter - 75 g;
- starch - 30 g;
- vanillin - 20 g;
- cream (30%) - 200 ml.
Stage 1 - making choux pastry for eclairs
First you need to make choux pastry, the recipe for which is quite simple and easy to do at home. To do this, pour water into the pan, add salt on the edge of a knife and put the pan on fire until the water boils.
Now you can add butter to the water and let it boil again. Then you should pour in the wheat flour in a thin stream, stirring constantly so that there are no lumps. Heat low and simmer the contents of the saucepan until the mixture is thick. As it thickens, add one chicken egg at a time, while stirring constantly.
Grease a baking sheet with butter or vegetable oil and sprinkle with flour. Place the elastic choux pastry in a pastry bag and form the cakes 10 centimeters long and 5 centimeters wide. Do not forget to leave a distance of 2-3 centimeters between the eclairs.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees, place a baking sheet in it and bake the cakes for about 15 minutes, then lower the heat and cook the eclairs for about 20 minutes. Keep in mind that under no circumstances should you open the oven so as not to change the temperature regime.
Stage 2 - making custard for eclairs
Meanwhile, while the custard dough is cooking, the need to make the custard. In a small saucepan, boil 100 ml of milk, and then add the starch to it, stir so that there are no lumps. Remove the milk from the stove and leave to cool at room temperature. Combine vanillin, sugar and butter and add to cooled milk. Add whipped cream to the mixture.
Stage 3 - filling eclairs
Allow the finished eclairs to cool slightly, then make small cuts and fill each eclair with custard.
