Ingredients
This recipe is in memory of my Dad, who had a serious sweet tooth—something I definitely inherited. His favourite treat was always eclairs. When we were kids, if my mum went to Cork, she would always bring back a box of buns from the iconic Green Door Bakery. The éclairs were always saved for Dad. I first made éclairs in Home Economics class at school and couldn't wait to get home to show off my newfound talent with the family.
These are a cinch to make , you just need to be watchful – the main place where you can go astray is making the mixture too wet, so be careful when adding eggs as you may not need them all. I have given you a coffee icing below for coffee eclairs.
Makes 10
Choux pastry
- 120 ml water
- Pinch of salt
- 50 g butter
- 75 g plain white flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
To assemble
- 150 g plain chocolate, in pieces
- 250 ml cream
Method
- Pre-heat your oven to 200C
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- To make the choux pastry, sieve the flour on to a sheet of greaseproof paper.
- Put the butter and water in a saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted, then bring to a fast boil, when boiling in the flour all at once, beating thoroughly with a wooden over a medium heat for 30 seconds until you get a thick paste and forms a ball in the centre of the pan. (Take care to avoid overbeating or it will become fatty.)
- Remove from the heat and let cool slightly for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating vigorously, adding only just enough until the mixture is soft but holds its shape, you may not need all the eggs so be careful when adding .
- Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag with a 2.5 cm (1 inch) plain nozzle.
- Pipe 10 strips of batter on the lines tray, leaving space for them to expand, using a wet knife to cut off the pastry neatly at the nozzle.
