ECLAIRSE
- 55 ml water
- 55 ml milk
- 45 g butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 65 g plain flour
- 2 eggs
VANILLA CREAM
- 250 ml cream
- ½ vanilla pod
- 2 eggs
- 25 g plain flour
- 60 g sugar
- 250 ml cream
COOKING STEPS
Bring the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar to the boil. Shoot in the flour and stir over a moderate heat until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Cook the mixture until it thickens and a white film should form in the bottom of the pan. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Allow the mixture to cool briefly, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat the dough until smooth and elastic. Spoon the dough into a piping bag with a star nozzle.
(Pre-)heat cooking space to 200°C with Top/bottom heat
Pipe about 20 strips of dough, each about 8 cm long, onto two lined baking trays. Put the baking trays one after the other into the preheated cooking space. Bake.
Top/bottom heat 200°C for 10 Mins
Scrape the vanilla seeds out of the pod. Put the cream, vanilla pod and vanilla seeds in a pan and bring to the boil. Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl, add the eggs. Stir ⅓ of the cream into the egg mixture. Gently stir the egg mixture into the cream. Stir the mixture over a moderate heat until it thickens. Pour the custard into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film and place in the refrigerator to chill.
Lightly whisk the chilled custard with a balloon whisk to loosen it up. Whip the cream until soft peaks form, then fold it into the custard. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a star nozzle.
Cut the eclairs in half lengthways, pipe the vanilla cream into the bottom halves, then put the tops on.
