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Mocha Éclairs

Source of Recipe


From "The Gourmet Cookbook"



List of Ingredients



• -- For Éclairs --
  
• ½ stick (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  
• ½ cup water
  
• 1/8 tsp salt
  
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• .
  
• -- For Glaze --
  
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream
  
• 1 ounce good bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
  
• .
  
• Mocha Mousse Filling (recipe follows)
  






Instructions



1. Make the Éclairs:
   Put a rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425° F. Butter a large baking sheet.
   Combine butter, water and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until butter is melted. Reduce heat to moderate. Add flour all at once and cook, beating with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from sides of pan and forms a ball, about 15 seconds. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool slightly. With an electric mixer at high speed, beat in 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly beat remaining egg in a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon beaten egg to batter. Batter should be stiff enough to just fall from spoon; add a little more egg, if necessary.
   
   
2. Spoon batter into pastry bag fitted with ¾-inch tip and pipe eight 5-inch-long strips, about 1 inch wide, onto buttered baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
   
   
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and continue to bake until éclairs are golden brown, puffed and crisp, about 15 minutes more. Pierce side of each éclair with tip of a sharp knife and return éclairs to oven, propping door slightly ajar, for 5 minutes. Cool éclairs on a rack.
   
   
4. Make the glaze:
   Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan. Put chocolate in a bowl, pour 2 tablespoons hot cream over it, and stir until smooth. If necessary, add enough of the remaining cream to form a thick, but pourable, glaze.
   
   
5. Assemble the Éclairs:
   Make 2 holes in bottom of each éclair at each end with a chopstick. Transfer Mocha Mousse filling to cleaned pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch plain tip and pipe filling into éclairs through holes. Spread glaze over tops of éclairs with a small spatula. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour to set glaze.
   
   Makes 8 éclairs.
   
   ............
   
   MOCHA MOUSSE FILLING
   
   • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp whole milk
   • 3 Tbsp cornstarch
   • Pinch of salt
   • 3 large egg yolks
   • 4½ Tbsp sugar
   • 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
   • 1½ ounces good bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
   • 1½ Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
   • ¾ tsp vanilla extract
   • ¼ cup very cold heavy cream
   
   Whisk together ¼ cup milk, cornstarch, salt and yolks in a medium bowl until smooth.
   
   Combine sugar, espresso powder, and remaining ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk in a 1-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring, over moderate heat. Add to yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Return mixture to saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking constantly; then boil, whisking, for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Cover surface of filling with wax paper and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
   
   Beat cream in a small bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed just until it holds soft peaks. Whisk one-quarter of cream into mocha filling to lighten it, then whisk in remaining cream.
   
   Makes about 1¼ cups.