Chocolate Eclair

I love chocolate eclair ever since from young and my mum will buy for me when she happen to saw any in the pastry shop. But it has been so long since I have bought a eclair. Anyway I just bought a book name call "Home Baking" and it's all about pastry, dessert and bread recipe.

While I was browsing the book and wondering which dessert should I bake and finally I decided to make chocolate eclair. The choux pastry making is the same with the cream puff. The different is the filing, there are cream filing, custard filing or chocolate filing. My flavour will be chocolate filing.

I found a very useful video guide in YouTube on making the choux, it show the step by step of making the puff. (will share the link below in recipe guide)

 

The ganache started to melt pretty fast while I was taking the picture due to the humid weather. The chocolate filing is mouthwatering, it match so well with the choux puff. Eat the eclair while is still cold out of the fridge. If is left too long in the room temperature, the cream will become watering and the texture will not be so good. It will be better to keep in the freezer and consume it immediately and the texture is like eating a ice-cream puff. Yum!

*Recipe source: Home Baking

*For the puff pastry video guide:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVttWF4ADA8&ytsession=nSPGunDmCmzIacuubC2zORVE3gf-qCLhSWAXHDXo7i_RqMU-fUnDsE2T1xEiEZYFFEhQD7itqxAO6qd_yXgblUuUYh6us-Ydis-OYRe6Wrc-sFL0tyun3Xv24hoixM05jgJqN6yTOkGaAMwuccFO43SfehqcASHNRDCoMC9mgb5suyx0fA9MjIwjD66LMAT6Pw4nnU-G_INXS9QbylzFZ-RzNxDlywyiPKgbQTNalqs

 (A) Chocolate Cream (Filing) Ingredients:

• 250ml milk
• ½ of a vanilla pod (I use vanilla extract) 
• 60gm castor sugar 
• 60gm egg yolk (about 3 eggs)
• 12gm plain flour
• 10gm corn flour
• 23gm unsalted butter (cut into small cubes size)
• 80gm dark chocolate (melted)  

 (B) Choux Pastry Ingredients:

• 60ml milk
• 60ml water
• a pinch of salt
• 5gm castor sugar
• 50gm unsalted butter
• 70gm plain flour
• 3 eggs

(C) Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

• 50ml cream (I skip this)
• 2 tsp maltose syrup (I skip this)
• 150gm dark chocolate (melted)

Method: (A) Chocolate Cream (Filing)

1. Cut the vanilla pod into halve, using the back of the knife and scrape out all the seeds from the inside.
2. Pour the milk into a pot with the vanilla pod and seeds on a stove in medium heat, let it become warm but not boiling & remove the vanilla pod. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool off.
3. In a clean bowl, using the whisk beat the egg yolk with the sugar until the batter turn into pale yellow colour stage.
4. Add in the sift plain flour and corn flour into step 3 batter, mix to combine. Follow by the milk (in step 2) and mix to combine. 
5. Transfer the batter into a pot and place on the stove in low heat, using a hand whisk and keep stirring until batter become thick and turn off the heat.
6. Add the butter into the batter and stir to combine.
7. Transfer the batter into a clean bowl and add in the dark chocolate and mix well. Cover the surface with a cling wrap and keep in the fridge. (I keep it overnight)

Method: (B) Choux Pastry
Follow this video guide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVttWF4ADA8&ytsession=nSPGunDmCmzIacuubC2zORVE3gf-qCLhSWAXHDXo7i_RqMU-fUnDsE2T1xEiEZYFFEhQD7itqxAO6qd_yXgblUuUYh6us-Ydis-OYRe6Wrc-sFL0tyun3Xv24hoixM05jgJqN6yTOkGaAMwuccFO43SfehqcASHNRDCoMC9mgb5suyx0fA9MjIwjD66LMAT6Pw4nnU-G_INXS9QbylzFZ-RzNxDlywyiPKgbQTNalqs

  
Method: (C) Chocolate Ganache

1. I omit the cream and maltose syrup because I do not have on hand. So I just double boil and melt the semi-sweet chocolate instead of using dark chocolate.

 
Method: To Assemble

1. Cut 2 small hole on the bottom of the choux and pipe with chocolate cream.  
2. Place the top choux with the melted chocolate and stored in the refrigerator until cold before serving.

Durian Puff Choux

Now is in the mood of durian season, u can get to see durian nearly everywhere is selling. I bought mine at a soy drink store, weird right? The soy drink store not just selling soy milk, they sell durian, pudding and even fruits. I always like to purchase from this store is because of the boss, he is a very friendly, good manner and always carry with a smile on the face. He even treat the customer bread (he bought from the bakery store) and store pudding. Such a nice boss! *I wish my boss can be half like him.. Hehehe.. ^^

Usually I will bought mine durian from a fruit store because my house area their store is a monopoly and the boss always carry a unfriendly and fierce face. I don't like to purchase from their store unless I have really no choice.

At least now I have another option to buy durian from the soy drink store. The price of the durian is quite steep, they sell 1kg for $8. I bought 2 durian at $22. My mum give me a shock face when I told her but is all worth it. The durian seed is small and most importantly the durian is fabulous yummy.

Choux had been in my baking list for quite long but I always end up baking or making something else and since is durian season, why not take the opportunity to make some durian choux. The durian choux is just so delicious with the strong durian puree and the light airy puff. Let it chill in the fridge for a few hour, the taste and texture will be yummylious and make u feel like continue without stop. My niece is not a durian lover, since I had some extra choux so I spread the filling with kaya and she finish it all.

Perhaps I will make Custard cream choux the next time.

Ingredient:

*For the Puff

• 75gm Plain flour 
• 100gm Egg
• 60gm Butter (Cut into square cube)
• 150ml Water
• 2gm Salt

*For the Durian Puree

• 300gm fresh durian (remove the seed from the fresh)
• 2 tbsp of milk (I did not use whipping cream because to stay away from the fat)

Method:

1. For the Durian Puree, mix both ingredient together and place in the refrigerate.
2. Preheat the oven at 200°C. Beat the egg on a bowl and use the double boil mothod to keep the egg warm. The temperature of the water at 40°C to 50°C.
3. Place the butter, water and salt in a pot over a stove on medium fire. Do not stir it, let it melt completely.
4. Switch off the stove when it come to a boil, remove away from the stove and add in the sieve flour.
5. Use a wooden spatula and mix it until it form a dough, place it back to the stove on a low medium fire. Continue to mix, using the wooden spatula by stirring the dough up from the bottom of the pan. Mix until the bottom of the pan form a thin layer of dough skin and it's time to remove the pan away from the stove.
6. Transfer the dough in a mixing bowl, pour half of the beaten egg into the bowl. Use the wooden spatula by using the cutting method to mix the dough. Mix until the dough form into one but is still smooth.
7. Pour another half of the egg, repeat the same method from step 5.
8. Pour a little bit of the egg in and mix. Keep repeat this method until the dough become smooth.
9. Pour the batter into a pastry bag and pipe the batter on a tray with baking paper.
10. Bake at 200°C for 8 minute than lower down the oven tempeature to 180°C and continue to bake for another 20 minute.
11. Let the puff cool on rack completely, using the knife and halve the puff than pipe the durian puree into the puff.