In all my cream-puff making years, I can't believe this is the first time I've come across this awesome recipe. Think Chinese pineapple bun meets French cream puff. A crisp and sweet cookie crust baked on top of a chewy, buttery egg puff. Pure genius!
I have my friend Becky to thank, for the gorgeous Laduree Sucre cookbook that looks as opulent and rich as the Parisian patisserie itself. The cookbook is padded in a velvet-suede fabric in the signature Laduree green with gold-lined pages. The pictures are beautiful and they all make me want to start baking right away. Thanks Beck!
Both eclairs and cream puffs are made from the same basic pastry dough called pâte à choux. The only difference between the two is the shape you choose to pipe the dough in. This recipe is very versatile and lends to a number of different variations, like chocolate, rose and pistachio which are all in the book. The great thing about this recipe is the crisp cookie-like topping for its added texture to the pastry. One problem I always run into is cream puffs taste amazing coming out of the oven but after a couple of hours, the dough tends to sag and become chewy. This crisp topping ensures the pastry maintains its original texture. I will never make regular cream puffs or eclairs again!
I have my friend Becky to thank, for the gorgeous Laduree Sucre cookbook that looks as opulent and rich as the Parisian patisserie itself. The cookbook is padded in a velvet-suede fabric in the signature Laduree green with gold-lined pages. The pictures are beautiful and they all make me want to start baking right away. Thanks Beck!
Both eclairs and cream puffs are made from the same basic pastry dough called pâte à choux. The only difference between the two is the shape you choose to pipe the dough in. This recipe is very versatile and lends to a number of different variations, like chocolate, rose and pistachio which are all in the book. The great thing about this recipe is the crisp cookie-like topping for its added texture to the pastry. One problem I always run into is cream puffs taste amazing coming out of the oven but after a couple of hours, the dough tends to sag and become chewy. This crisp topping ensures the pastry maintains its original texture. I will never make regular cream puffs or eclairs again!
Eclairs Vanille
Adapted from Sucre: Recipes from Ladurée Paris
Ingredients
Crispy Sweet Pastry Topping
7 tsp unsalted butter, very cold
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Choux Pastry
1 cup - 1/2 tbsp cake flour
1/2 cup - 1 tbsp whole milk
1/2 cup - 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 pinch salt
5 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
4 large eggs
Lightened Pastry Cream
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
1 2/3 cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup + 1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions
Directions
For the crispy sweet pastry topping: Cut the chilled butter into small pieces. In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, butter and vanilla extract until crumbly. Refrigerate for 1 hour then roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, as thin as possible. Refrigerate or freeze until stuff and slice rectangular strips of pastry dough to cover the tops of the eclairs
For the pastry cream: Heat the milk and vanilla paste in a saucepan over until simmering, stirring constantly. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Stir in cornstarch. Pour a third of the hot milk over the egg yolk mixture and stir vigorously. Pour the mixture into the saucepan and bring to a boil while constantly stirring with a whisk. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the pan. Whisk until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour the cream into a clean bowl. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then stir in the butter. Cover with plastic wrap applied directly to the top of the cream to prevent a film from forming.
Whisk the heavy cream with a mixer until it thickens and firms. Gently fold the heavy cream into the chilled pastry cream.
For the choux pastry: Sift the flour. In a large metal pan, bring the milk, water,sugar, salt and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and add the flour, stirring vigorously until homogenous. Return the pan to low heat and continue to stir quickly for 1 minute, until the batter forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Add the eggs one at a time, carefully incorporating each into the batter with a spatula.
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Transfer the choux pastry dough to a piping bag with a 1/2 inch plain tip. Pipe 5 inch strips onto lined baking sheet. Place a chilled strip of crisp sweet pastry on top of each piped eclair. Place in over and bake. After 10 minutes, open the over door slightly to allow steam to escape. Bake the eclairs for another 30 minutes with the door ajar (slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the oven). Remove eclairs once done and prick each pastry with a tooth pick to allow the steam to release.
Fill each eclair with the pastry cream....and enjoy!
Whisk the heavy cream with a mixer until it thickens and firms. Gently fold the heavy cream into the chilled pastry cream.
For the choux pastry: Sift the flour. In a large metal pan, bring the milk, water,sugar, salt and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and add the flour, stirring vigorously until homogenous. Return the pan to low heat and continue to stir quickly for 1 minute, until the batter forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Add the eggs one at a time, carefully incorporating each into the batter with a spatula.
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Transfer the choux pastry dough to a piping bag with a 1/2 inch plain tip. Pipe 5 inch strips onto lined baking sheet. Place a chilled strip of crisp sweet pastry on top of each piped eclair. Place in over and bake. After 10 minutes, open the over door slightly to allow steam to escape. Bake the eclairs for another 30 minutes with the door ajar (slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the oven). Remove eclairs once done and prick each pastry with a tooth pick to allow the steam to release.
Fill each eclair with the pastry cream....and enjoy!
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