I'm going to go ahead and throw out an apology for the lack of posting. I'm on a critical care rotation and Jake is doing cardiology. They're both very demanding. I leave the house around 6:30am and I usually don't get home til about 10pm. Jake's schedule is very similar. There isn't much cooking going on these days. Look for a return to life at the end of this month when I get a break.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Eclairs [AB/JG]


History:
I made these once years ago for a friend in high school. I went back to them after I got a book with a recipe [now I have like 3], and I actually originally made these for Anita's birthday. I think this may be my 3rd-4th time making them. Big hit at the house with Clark and Patrick actually. I tried to make them to take to class, but by the time those Clark and Patrick had finished I didn't have enough.

Recipe:
Pata a choux:
1 cup of water
6 tbls of butter
tbl of sugar
salt
161 grams bread flour
4 large eggs
1 egg white

Bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to boil. Once boiling pour all the flour in at once and start to mix. Very soon everything will come together in a ball. Put ball in a kitchenaid mixer and mix on low until steam is not coming off anymore ~5 minutes [sorry if you don't have a stand mixer.] Once cool add the eggs one at a time until fully combined. Then add the white. I use a gallon bag and pipe the shells onto parchment paper. Usually I put a bit on the batter in the corners of the parchment paper to hold it on the pan. Starting in the middle of the size of an eclair you want [~3 inches] go up 1.5 inches, come down 3 and then back up 1.5 inches. It is like making an 's' on itself. Or you can make a little spiral for creme puffs. Use a watery finger to push any tips down. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes and then 350 for 15-20 or so. Still perfecting the time on my end. Cool, poke a hole and fill. For the chocolate top melt via double boiler chocolate and some milk.

Enjoy.

Creme:
2 cups whole milk
56 grams sugar [2 tbls x 2]
28 grams cornstarch [~2 tbls]
salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk [from white above]
vanilla
2 tbs butter

Heat milk, sugar [1 of the 56 grams], vanilla to a simmer. Whisk eggs, egg yolk, sugar [other 56 grams] cornstarch, and salt. Temper together. Heat on medium-low until the creme when stirred comes off the side of the pot. Strain into a clean bowl mix in butter, and let it get to RT. Use a gallon bag and pipe into eclair/creme puff shells.

I have also folded in fruit [blueberries] to give this a bit different taste. Very you can use the pata a choux for whatever you want. Chicken salad etc to made savory.

Have fun, and let us know what you do.

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