After taking care of my domestic chores, the mister and I set out Saturday for a bit of shopping. I forced him to take me to one of my favorite antique shops...vintage Christmas decorations were on my list. We're strolling through the shop and I have my reading glasses on to see the prices - why they are all so small is a mystery to me! Between looking down through the readers and over the tops of them to see things my vision was a bit blurred...that's my excuse...blurry vision. So when I bumped into the mister, I just did what ANY spouse would have done, I reached down and pinched his behind - squeezed it really...twice...only IT WAS NOT THE MISTER!! Horror of all horrors!!! It was some old man, who just stood there and let me squeeze him!! When I realized what I was doing - TWO squeezes later - the old man looked at me and said, "Well hi there, happy to meet you!" Of course I could do nothing but blather about how sorry I was, while his wife looked on, laughing! The old man put his arm around me and said, "It's okay, want to give it another go?"
Unfortunately this is NOT the guy who's behind I pinched...pinching Santa Claus is perfectly acceptable, especially if you're on his GOOD LIST...which I fear I might not be if I'm labeled a geriatricophile...Now speaking of Santa, this year I will be leaving eclairs for him and not cookies...and I suggest you do the same, especially if you want him to leave you something you've always wanted!
I made 50 eclairs for an friend's wedding open house - actually I made 75 but somewhere along the way 25 got eaten, or dropped and then eaten! They were small, three-biters, so it's not like I gained FIVE pounds - or thereabouts!
Eclairs are easier to make than you might think...the cream puff pastry recipe whips up quickly in the food processor - scooped into a plastic Zip-lock style bag it pipes nicely onto a baking sheet. They puff up as they're baked...making them a cinch to fill. But they do take time...time to bake, dry and cool - they're not something you can rush through so allow plenty of time - it's SOOOO worth it!
The cream filling is a snap to make, too...and once cooled (about 2 hours) and scooped into another Zip-lock bag, filling these little babies is the most fun you can have in the kitchen! Then there's the chocolate glaze...ooo-la-la-sis-boom-bah...that's French for Yeah BABY!
Eclairs - Adapted From Baking Illustrated
Make the Pastry Cream recipe first so it can be cooling while you make and bake the puff pastry. Recipe for the Pastry Cream is below. Make the chocolate glaze last, recipe below.
Cream Puff Pastry:
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
2 tablespoons whole milk
6 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
Beat the eggs and egg white in a measuring cup or small bowl; you should have 1/2 cup (discard the excess). Set aside.
Bring the butter, milk, water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring once or twice. When the mixture reaches a full boil (the butter should be fully melted), immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until combined and the mixture clears the sides of the pan. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, using a smearing motion, until the mixture is slightly shiny, looks like wet sand, and tiny beads of fat appear on the bottom of the saucepan, about 3 minutes.
Immediately transfer the mixture to a food processor and process with the feed tube open for 10 seconds to cool slightly. With the machine running, gradually add the eggs in a steady stream. When all the eggs have been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then process for 30 seconds until a smooth, thick, sticky paste forms.
Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper; set aside.
Fill a large Zip-lock style bag or a pastry bag with the paste. Push the down, twist bag so top is sealed and snip off the corner of the bag. Pipe the paste into 3-inch by 1-inch strips, spaced about 1-inch apart, onto the baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden brown and fairly firm. (Eclairs should NOT be soft and squishy.) Remove the baking sheet from the oven and with a paring knife, cut a small slit into the top of each eclair to release steam; return the eclairs to the oven, turn off the oven, and prop the oven door open with the handle of a wooden spoon. Dry the eclairs in the turned-off-oven until the centers are just moist (not wet) and the eclairs are crisp, about 30 minutes. Transfer the eclairs to a wire rack to cool.
Pastry Cream:
2 cups half-n-half
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Heat the half-n-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
When the half-n-half mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk a little bit of the simmering half-n-half into the yolk mixture to temper, gradually adding a bit more, about 1/2 cup total. Pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan, over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 2 hours.
Chocolate Glaze:
3 tablespoons half-n-half
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup powdered sugar
Place the half-n-half and chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl, cover with a paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds at a time, until the mixture just begins to steam. Whisk together thoroughly, add the powdered sugar, and whisk until completely smooth.
To Assemble Eclairs:
You can either cut each eclair in half and fill, then replace the top or you can scoop the filling into a plastic Zip-lock style bag or a pastry bag, fitted with a metal tip, and squeeze the pastry cream into the eclair through the slit you made earlier. I used the plastic bag method and it worked great - you'll know when the eclair is full of cream as it will begin to come out the top - just scoop off any extra with a spoon (try not to eat it!) Once the eclairs are filled, make the chocolate glaze and dip the tops of the eclairs into the glaze, shaking off any excess and transfer to a wire rack to set. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time. Makes about one dozen 3x1-inch eclairs.
Trying to make perfect-looking eclairs was the only tricky part...but what they lacked in appearance they more than made up for in taste!
I forgot to take pictures while I was filling and dipping them - and later at the open house I remembered in time to snap a pic of some on the silver tray...pictured at left are two "rejects" that didn't make it to the party...happily so!
