LIFESTYLE

June 15th, 2015

THE MODERN ÉCLAIR: RASPBERRY PASSION FRUIT

raspberry passion fruit modern eclairs

raspberry passion fruit modern eclairsraspberry passion fruit modern eclairsraspberry passion fruit modern eclairsraspberry passion fruit modern eclairsraspberry passion fruit modern eclairsraspberry passion fruit modern eclairsraspberry passion fruit modern eclairs

Move over macarons, there’s a new fancy treat in town. Just kidding! I love french macarons and will never tire of eating them. But when it comes to pretty, dainty treats, the modern french éclair is a close runner-up. Lately I’ve been obsessed with all the gorgeous images on Instagram of éclairs from pastry shops in Paris and Dubai. Even locally, Moroco Chocolat makes beautiful french éclairs that are hard to resist.

All this prompted me to attempt my hand at this delightful sweet treat. To my amazement, I came across a recipe in the Spring 2015 Issue of FOOD & DRINK MAGAZINE and knew I had to try them out. I have never attempted choux pastry, so this was a first for me. The final results were out-of-this-world! Now all I dream about are these light and creamy Raspberry Passion Fruit Éclairs. Even my husband who is not really a “sweets” kinda-guy, and who doesn’t get overly excited about much of my baking, keeps asking me when I’m going to make them again. This means they are that good!

The recipe is pretty simple, just a lot of steps and somewhat time consuming. So make sure you have lots of time on your hands, but I promise you that the results will be well worth your time. Also, no special tools are required except a piping bag and either a French Pastry Tip or a 1/2″ Round Decorating Tip. I didn’t have a french tip, but will pick one up for the next batch I make as this gives them a nice textured exterior. I hope some of you try out the recipe and leave comments below, I would love to hear how yours turns out!

RASPBERRY PASSION FRUIT ÉCLAIRS
Ingredients
  • PASTRY:
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (1 Stick)
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 4 Eggs
  • PASSION FRUIT PASTRY CREAM:
  • 3 Egg Yolks
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
  • 2 tbsp + 1 tsp Corn Starch
  • 1 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1 cup Whipping Cream
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 5 Passion Fruit (juice extracted from pulp)
  • RASPBERRY GLAZE:
  • 1/4 cup Frozen Raspberries (thawed)
  • 1 cup Icing Sugar (+ more if needed)
Instructions
  1. PASTRY:
  2. Arrange oven racks in top and middle positions.
  3. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  4. In a medium heavy bottom pot, over medium heat, combine milk, water, sugar, salt and butter. Bring to a boil.
  5. Whisk in vanilla.
  6. Add all the flour and stir until mixture comes away from the sides of the pot.
  7. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook the mixture, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
  8. Remove mixture from heat and turn out into the bowl of a stand mixer.
  9. Beat with the paddle attachment of the stand mixer for 3 minutes to cool the mixture.
  10. Continue to beat and add eggs, one at a time, combing well after each addition.
  11. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round or French pastry tip.
  12. Twist bag to enclose batter and let rest for 20 minutes.
  13. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
  14. On the reverse side of each parchment, draw 12 (4″Lx3/4″W) rectangles, leaving equal space between them.
  15. Pipe batter onto your parchment shapes (reverse side of markings), squeezing a thick layer onto each.
  16. Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 350°F.
  17. Bake, switching racks midway through, for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden, puffed and crisp. Allow to cool on a rack.
  18. PASSION FRUIT PASTRY CREAM:
  19. Mix egg and sugar together in a large heatproof bowl.
  20. Sift flour and cornstarch together and add to egg mixture.
  21. Stir to form a smooth paste.
  22. Pour milk into a medium heavy bottom pot and add vanilla extract.
  23. Heat milk to a boil over medium heat.
  24. Remove from the heat and slowly pour into egg mixture, whisking constantly.
  25. Return mixture to pot and set over medium-low heat.
  26. Whisking constantly, bring mixture back to a boil and cook for 1 minute longer.
  27. Pour back into the heatproof bowl.
  28. Scoop the seeds and pulp from passion fruit into a fine-meshed sieve set over a bowl.
  29. Using a spatula press mixture to release as much juice as possible.
  30. Discard seeds and measure out 1/3 cup of juice.
  31. Whisk juice into boiled and thickened custard.
  32. Cover custard with cling wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
  33. In a separate large bowl, whip cream to soft peaks.
  34. Add icing sugar and whip to stiff peaks.
  35. Stir chilled pastry cream, folding in one-third of whipped cream.
  36. Fold in remaining whipped cream.
  37. RASPBERRY GLAZE:
  38. Mash thawed frozen raspberries.
  39. Add mashed berries to 1 cup icing sugar.
  40. Continue to add more icing sugar until you reach desired consistency.
  41. Stir to combine.
  42. ASSEMBLE:
  43. Cut éclairs in half to form a top and bottom.
  44. Decoratively pipe filling onto bottoms.
  45. Decorate tops with the glaze and place on top of pastry cream.

NOTES:
* When piping pastry onto the parchment, it will be quite thick to get out of the piping bag. Squeeze hard and allow each pastry to be about 1/2″ thick.
* For the glaze, if you want a thick consistency that will stay on top of the eclair and not drip down the sides, continue to add icing sugar to the thawed raspberries until it is quite thick. Otherwise, if you want a light glaze, stick with the recipe measurements.
* Adapted from Passion Fruit & Raspberry Eclairs Recipe in FOOD & DRINK MAGAZINE, Spring 2015 Issue