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BBC Mini Éclairs




Source of Recipe


bbcgoodfood.com


Recipe Introduction


These are lovely and delicious, but just didn’t work for me as mini éclairs. They were just too small to get a decent amount of custard into. So I tried them as cream puffs and that worked perfectly.


Recipe Link: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2853662/mini-eclairs

List of Ingredients




PASTRY:
150ml milk
100g butter, diced
200g plain flour, sieved
4 large eggs, beaten

CUSTARD:
200ml milk
1 tsp vanilla paste, or 1 vanilla pod, split down the middle
2 large egg yolks
4 tbsp. caster sugar (superfine – can make in blender)
1 tbsp. plain flour
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch per BBC)
200ml double cream

TO DECORATE:
2 tbsp. berry liqueur, such as cassis, framboise or sloe gin (optional)
500g pack fondant icing sugar, sifted (10X)
food coloring (use pinks and purples if you flavor with a berry liqueur)
sprinkles and edible cake decoration


Recipe



PASTRY:
To make the pastry, heat the milk, butter and 150ml of water very gently in a medium-sized saucepan until all the butter has melted. Increase the heat and bring the liquid to the boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove from the heat and beat in the flour and a pinch of salt with a wooden spoon. Keep beating until the mixture is smooth and comes away from the sides of the pan. Cool for 5 minutes.

Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, to a smooth, shiny dough. Spoon into a piping bag with a 1.5-2cm plain nozzle and set aside until ready to bake.

CUSTARD:
To make the filling, bring the milk just to a boil in a saucepan with the vanilla paste or split pod. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and flours in a mixing bowl. Pour on the hot milk while continuously whisking the egg mixture. Discard the pod (if using) and return the mix to a wiped-out saucepan. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring, until the mix is thicker than a custard – it will get lumpy, but just carry on stirring and beat out the lumps. Transfer to another mixing bowl and lay plastic wrap directly on the surface. Leave to cool, then chill.

Heat oven to 425F. Line a couple of baking sheets with baking parchment. Pipe on 8-10cm long lengths of the dough, about 2cm wide – leaving space to expand between each one. [Or pipe cream puffs.] Put in the oven for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 400F and bake for 10 minutes more until golden, puffed and crisp. Using a skewer, poke 3 small holes along the base of each bun. [If making puffs, one hole is enough.] Put back on the baking sheets, base up, and return to the oven for a further 8-10 minutes until slightly crisper. Cool. Can be frozen for up to a month, or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days – just crisp up in a hot oven again when ready to fill.


Add the cream to the thick custard filling and beat with an electric whisk until it holds its own shape again [this will take a while]. Put into a piping bag with a tiny nozzle, then pipe some filling into the bottom of the buns using the skewer holes you made before. When it squirts back out, that bit is probably full.

Stir the liqueur, if using, into the icing sugar, plus just enough water to make a pretty thick icing. Divide among as many bowls as you want colors, and color each batch as you like. (Depending on your coloring, you may need to add a drop more water to icings so that they are thick but runny.)

Dip the top of each éclair in icing to cover, or use a teaspoon to spread a little on – use less at first and wait for it to spread and settle. Add sprinkles and decorations, then gently sit on wire racks to set. Éclairs are best eaten on the day they are filled and decorated, before they go soggy.