Raspberry & Vanilla Eclairs

Chocolate, vanilla custard, and raspberries — what could be better? Made with a simple pâte à choux pastry and a bright berry filling, these elegant eclairs are the kind of bakery-quality treat that looks far more complicated than it actually is. Light, crisp shells filled with vanilla custard and raspberry confit, glazed with glossy chocolate.

Ingredients

Choux Pastry

• 125g water
• 125g full-fat milk
• 4g salt
• 6g sugar
• 112g unsalted butter (80% fat)
• 138g plain flour
• 250g eggs (about 4 eggs)

Vanilla Custard Filling

• 500g milk
• 70g egg yolks
• 60g sugar
• 36g cornstarch
• 14g powdered gelatine + 84g cold water
• 140g unsalted butter
• Vanilla extract or beans
• 150g double/heavy cream, whipped

Raspberry Confit

• 75g raspberry purée
• 25g frozen raspberries
• 10g glucose syrup or honey
• 10g sugar
• 3g pectin + a pinch of lemon juice

Chocolate Glaze

• 150g chocolate, chopped
• 116g heavy cream

Directions

1. Bring water, milk, salt, sugar, and butter to a boil in a pot. Remove from heat, add sifted flour, and mix immediately. Cook 2-3 minutes more to dry out the dough.
2. Transfer to a stand mixer and mix on low until the dough cools to 55-60°C. Gradually add whisked eggs, a little at a time, until the dough falls off the spatula in slow ribbons (you may not need all the egg).
3. Cover and rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
4. Pipe onto a lined tray in 13cm/5.5-inch lengths, spray lightly with oil and icing sugar, then freeze for at least 1 hour.
5. Bake in a very hot preheated oven, then turn off heat and continue baking 20-25 minutes. Reduce to 150°C/300°F and bake a further 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool on a rack.
6. For the custard: bloom gelatine in cold water. Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale, add cornstarch. Slowly temper in boiling milk, then cook over low heat, whisking, until thickened. Add bloomed gelatine, cool to 40°C/104°F, then mix in butter. Chill fully, then fold in whipped cream and vanilla.
7. For the raspberry confit: cook purée, frozen raspberries, and glucose to 30°C/86°F. Mix pectin with sugar, add in, boil 30 seconds to activate, finish with lemon juice. Chill.
8. For the glaze: heat cream to boiling, pour over chopped chocolate, let sit, then stir smooth.
9. Fill each eclair with custard, then raspberry confit. Dip the tops in chocolate glaze and set on a rack to dry.

Hugs, Alla xox

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