Time:2 hours +Makes:15 eclairs
I am a big fan of choux pastry,and especially,eclairs. An eclair was the first dish I cooked onMasterChef Back to Win and it is the pastry I hunt for when travelling (five eclairs a day if in France? A must). There is just something so magical about the transformation of choux in the oven:from a paste-like dough to a puffed-up,glorious vessel ready to be filled with whatever your heart desires.
Eclairs are best eaten on the day they are filled as the pastry tends to go soggy over time. I like to make each element ahead and fill them just before serving.
The vanilla pastry cream and glaze can be made up to a week ahead and stored in the fridge. You can make the eclairs ahead,too,and store them in the freezer (baked,cooled and unfilled) for up to two weeks. Simply pull them out of the freezer 20 minutes before filling and decorating. This will ensure they retain their fresh-from-the-oven crunch!
Technique of the month:Choux pastry
To the novice baker,choux pastry may appear quite intimidating,but it is actually a simple pastry to make. Choux,or pâte à choux,is a pastry used for many of our favourite treats:cream puffs,eclairs,Paris-Brest,choux au craquelin,croquembouche and crullers. The dough’s high water content converts to steam in the oven,causing the pastry to rise and expand without the need for raising agents such as baking powder.