Chocolate Eclairs and choux paste by Hansells Recipes
Cakes and Tarts
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
Chocolate Eclairs and choux paste
CHOUX PASTE
100g butter
1 cup cold water
1 cup flour
3 eggs
CHOCOLATE ICING
2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon Hansells Vanilla Essence
Boiling water
FILLING
300ml cream
1 teaspoon Hansells Vanilla Paste or 1 teaspoon Hansells Vanilla Essence
Method:
CHOUX PASTE
Combine the butter and water in a saucepan. With the saucepan uncovered, bring to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour. At this point, you can transfer the mixture to a food processor and use this to do the hard beating work for you. Process or beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until it comes away from the sides of the bowl. Cool slightly so as not to set the eggs.
With the motor running, add the eggs one at a time, processing or beating until each egg is combined. Continue processing or beating until the mixture is smooth and shiny.
Pipe or spoon 7 centimetre lengths of mixture onto a baking paper lined oven tray, allowing a little room for spreading. Bake at 200 degrees C for 20 – 25 minutes or until firm and golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 120 degrees C and cook for a further 10 – 15 minutes to dry out the inside of the eclairs.
Remove from the oven and cut a horizontal slit in each éclair. Cool on a rack. When cold, store in an airtight container. When ready to serve, ice with chocolate icing and fill with whipped cream.
CHOCOLATE ICING
Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl. Mix in the vanilla essence and enough boiling water to make a smooth, spreadable icing.
FILLING
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Mix in the vanilla paste or essence.
Makes about 16
TIPS
. The ratio of water to eggs to flour is very important to make successful choux paste. It is important not to continue to boil the butter and water mixture once it comes to a rolling boil as the water evaporates and changes this important ingredient ratio.
. Choux paste is used to make everything from eclairs and cream puffs to the French wedding cake Croquembouche.
. Choux paste rises when steam forms during cooking. Cutting a slit in the cooked choux paste allows steam to escape once cooked, helping to keep the inside of the eclairs or puffs dry.
. Cooked choux paste freezes well or unfilled cases can be stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks.
. Boiling water makes icings shiny.
