Lovely Leahs Eclairs Recipes

ECLAIRS II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
• In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts completely. Reduce heat to low, and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and begins to form a stiff ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely after each addition. With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a No. 10, or larger, tip, spoon or pipe dough onto cookie sheet in 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips.
• Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake 20 minutes more, until hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the filling, combine pudding mix and milk in medium bowl according to package directions. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold whipped cream into pudding. Cut tops off of cooled pastry shells with a sharp knife. Fill shells with pudding mixture and replace tops.
• For the icing, melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth and has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and drizzle over filled eclairs. Refrigerate until serving.

THE PERFECT ECLAIR RECIPE (FOOLPROOF)

Steps:

• Sift flour then measure and set aside
• Place butter, water, milk, salt, and sugar into a saucepan over medium heat
• As soon as the mixture starts to boil remove from heat, add the flour in one go, and whisk vigorously with a Rubber spatula until it forms one smooth ball and flour bits are not visible
• Place the saucepan back to the stove and cook the dough for 3-5 min over medium heat mixing constantly. During this time water will evaporates from the dough and there should be a thin skin formed on the bottom up the saucepan
• Transfer the dough into the bowl of your Stand mixer and start whisking on low seead for a minute for the dough to cool a bit (use the paddle attachement)
• Start adding lightly whisked eggs onto the dough while the mixer is on. Only add a small amount of egg at a time and let the mixer incorporate the egg before adding in more. The dough will come together and should reach a glossy, pipeable consistency.
• The dough is ready when it slowly falls down from the paddle attachment in a V shape. Slowly is key here, it should not be too runny. Depending on how much you dried the dough at the previous cooking stage and the flour you use, the exact quantity of egg will need somewhat your judgement
• Move the dough into a pastry bag fitted with French star nozzle tip (0.5cm / 1.3cm in diameter) and rest the dough in the fridge for 1-2 hours
• Once the dough is rested, with the help of the French star nozzle tip pipe 14 equal size eclairs on Perforated "air" baking mat leaving enough space in between them as they will puff.
• Alternatively, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, and pipe the choux dough onto the paper.
• Dust the piped dough with icing sugar, that also helps to avoid cracks. Place the tray into the freezer for 30 min at least before baking you can also freeze the dough at this point for a longer time
• Pre-heat oven to 200 C / 392 F (no fan)
• Lower oven temperature to 170 C / 338 F (no fan) and bake the eclairs for 40 min. Do not open the oven door in the first 30 min. If you are baking it the first time it is a good idea to take one eclair out of the oven at 40 min and check its consistency. If it is golden in colour, nicely puffed up, does not deflate on room temperature and the middle of the eclair is not raw (it is ok if it's a bit wet, it will dry while cooling down) then it is considered to be done
• Cool the eclairs on the perforated air mat
• Fill with chocolate or vanilla bean pastry cream. Use my recipes in here

HOMEMADE ECLAIRS RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine water, butter, and a pinch of salt in a small pot. Place over medium heat.
• When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir quickly to combine and form a dough.
• Return the pot to medium heat and continue stirring until a thin film develops on the bottom of the pot.
• Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Whisk eggs together in a small bowl. With the mixer running, add eggs a little at a time into the flour mixture. Wait until the egg is completely incorporated until adding the next amount.
• As you near the end of the eggs, check the consistency of the dough by lifting the paddle up from the choux pastry. The mixture should fall slowly and form a "V" shape. If it stays stuck to the paddle, add a little more egg and check again.
• Transfer the choux paste to a piping bag fitted with a French star tip. Pipe 3 inch eclairs onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 325°F (160°C) and bake for another 10-20 minutes or until they are golden brown and feel hollow on the inside.
• After removing the choux from the oven, poke two holes in the bottom of each eclair and return to the tray upside down to allow steam to escape.
• Split a vanilla bean in half leaving the very top intact. Scrape the beans from each half of the pod and place in a small pot along with the whole bean.
• To the pot, add milk, first amount of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Place over medium-low heat.
• While the milk is heating up, add egg yolks, cornstarch and sugar to a heat proof bowl. Whisk to combine.
• When the milk comes to a simmer, remove from the heat. While whisking continuously, add a tablespoon at a time to the yolk mixture. Continue adding the hot milk a tablespoon at a time until half of the milk is added in with the yolks. Then transfer the yolk mixture into the pot with the remaining milk.
• Remove the vanilla bean pod and return the pot to medium heat. Whisk continuously until the cream thickens. Once it starts to bubble, cook for two more minutes. Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve.
• Add softened butter and whisk to combine. Lastly, plastic wrap up against the surface of the cream and refrigerate until cool and ready to use.
• Before using, stir with a spatula to loosen the cream.
• Chop dark chocolate into small pieces and place in a heat proof bowl.
• Pour heavy cream and a pinch of salt into a small pot. Place over medium heat.
• When the cream comes to a simmer, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for two minutes undisturbed.
• After two minutes whisk to combine until the ganache is homogenous.
• Fit a piping bag with a round tip and fill with the pastry cream.
• Once the eclair shells are cooled, pipe the pastry cream into the two holes made to allow steam to escape.
• Dip the tops of the eclairs into the chocolate ganache, let the ganache drip off for a few seconds, and carefully place onto a baking tray lined with parchment or serving plate.

ECLAIRS

Steps:

• For the choux pastry: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large saucepot over medium-high heat, bring the butter, salt and water to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, add the flour in thirds, stirring it in as fast as possible. Smash any lumps against the side of the pot.
• Cook the mixture until the dough forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pot, about 2 minutes.
• Add the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and let it sit and cool for 5 minutes. Beat on low for 1 minute to release steam. Add the eggs, one at a time, until the dough is smooth and pipeable yet still holds its shape.
• Add the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Place 4 tiny dabs of dough in the corners of a large baking sheet, then tack down a piece of parchment on top. Pipe the dough into 5-inch lines about 2 inches apart from each other on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating once halfway through, until deep golden brown and dry in the centers, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.
• For the whipped cream: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla seeds until smooth. Add the heavy cream and continue to beat until medium peaks form. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip.
• For the chocolate glaze: Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until completely melted. Whisk together the corn syrup and cocoa powder in a small bowl, then whisk into the chocolate mixture. Set aside until ready to use, but don't refrigerate.
• For the poured fondant glaze: Combine the confectioners' sugar, corn syrup and water in a bowl set over a double boiler. Heat, whisking, until smooth and uniform. Turn the heat off and let sit over the water bath until ready to use. Whisk again right before using.
• Insert the tip of the pastry bag with the whipped cream into the ends or bottoms of the eclairs to fill them. Dip filled eclairs into the glazes and place on a rack to set.

CHOCOLATE LOVER'S ECLAIRS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine butter and water. Bring to a rapid boil, stirring until the butter melts. Reduce heat to low; add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a stiff ball. Remove from the heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. , With a tablespoon or a pastry tube fitting with a no. 10 or larger tip, spoon or pipe dough into 4-in.-long x 1-1/2-in.-wide strips on a greased baking sheet. , Bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325° bake 20 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. , For filling, in a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. In another large bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar and vanilla; fold into pudding. Fill cooled shells. (Chill remaining pudding mixture for another use.) , For icing, melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar. Add hot water until icing is smooth and reaches desired consistency. Cool slightly. Spread over eclairs. Chill until serving.

LOVELY LEAH'S ECLAIRS

Steps:

• Éclairs:
• Boil water and butter.
• At instant of boil, THROW in flour and remove from heat immediately.
• Stir vigorously.
• Stir in eggs ONE AT A TIME.
• And vigorously at that.
• Drop 30 onto greased pans with spoons.
• Bake at 375 for 35-45 minute.
• Don't under bake or they'll fall apart.
• Filling:.
• Mix cream cheese with milk thoroughly.
• Mix in pudding and chill for about 10 minute.
• Cut lids off éclair shells and fill by spooning--remove éclair shell innards with fingers first, if necessary.
• Frosting:.
• Mix boiling water with butter and cocoa and sugar.
• Make sure it tastes nice and chocolaty.
• A little water goes a LONG way.