Chocolate Cream Eclair

Here is the recipe to make Chocolate Cream Eclair.

INGREDIENTS

For the filling

1. 240g whole milk


2. 50g caster sugar


3. 2 tbsp cornflour


4. ¼ tsp fine sea salt


5. 3 egg yolks


6. 100g dark chocolate (70%), chopped into small pieces


7. 100g double cream

For the pastry

1. 120g water


2. 60g unsalted butter


3. ¼ tsp fine sea salt


4. ½ tsp caster sugar


5. 70g plain flour


6. 2 eggs, plus another for egg wash


7. 1 tbsp milk, for egg wash

For the glaze

1. 150g dark chocolate (70%), chopped


2. 100g double cream


3. 50g soured cream or creme fraiche


4. 100g water


5. 4 tbsp caster sugar


6. 1 tbsp vanilla extract


7. ¼ tsp fine sea salt

METHODS

1. Start with the filling. Prepare an ice-water bath large enough to fit your saucepan. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a medium-size bowl and the whites in a sealed container in your fridge for other uses.


2. In a heavy-based saucepan, bring the milk to just under the boil. Meanwhile, whisk the sugar, cornflour and salt into the yolks. Once the milk is hot, whisk half of it into the yolks to temper them, then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Whisking constantly, return to the heat until thickened – about 5 minutes.


3. Drop in the chopped chocolate and stir briefly to melt it. Remove from the heat and place the pan over the water bath to cool down. Spread a piece of clingfilm directly on to the custard so that it does not form a skin. Put in the fridge overnight to chill.


4. The next day, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.


5. In a heavy-based saucepan, combine all the pastry ingredients except the eggs and egg wash. Heat over a medium flame, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. After 5 minutes, the mixture should come together and a film should form on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set it aside to cool for a few minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring thoroughly after each addition.


6. While the pastry dough is still warm, fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe 8cm-long logs on to the prepared baking trays – make sure you space them about 4cm apart. Make the egg wash from 1 egg and 1 tbsp milk, then brush over the tops of the logs. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and nicely puffed up.


7. Meanwhile, whip the double cream until thick, then gently fold it into the cool chocolate pastry cream.


8. Remove the pastry from the oven and pierce with a skewer to release any trapped steam. Cool completely before slicing open with a serrated knife and filling with the pastry cream.


9. To make the glaze: put 100g of the dark chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Heat the double cream in a saucepan to just under the boil. You will know it is at the right point when it starts to foam on top and steam escapes. Then pour the double cream into the bowl of chopped chocolate and set aside for 5 minutes, then stir it into a smooth ganache.


10. Wash out the saucepan you used to heat the cream and to this, add the remaining 50g of chopped chocolate. Add the remaining ingredients and heat the mixture over a medium-low heat to melt it all together.


11. Once the mixture has melted, turn the heat up to high and boil for a few minutes to thicken. Take off the heat, combine with the ganache and whisk until smooth. Spoon over the tops of your assembled eclairs.

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