To start our blog off, we thought we would do a bite size twist on a french classic. Something with everyone’s current favourite, salted caramel. Crisp choux pastry mini eclairs filled with a salted caramel cream, drizzled with chocolate ganache & salted caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt.

JWP_6724

JWP_6686

Choux Pastry

Yields 20
Choux pastry to make our eclairs


Write a review
Save Recipe
Print

Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 85g plain flour
  2. Pinch of salt
  3. 60g butter
  4. 160ml water
  5. 2 medium eggs
Instructions
  1. Put the butter and water into a pan. Heat whilst stirring, until the butter has melted. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil.
  2. Turn down the heat. Sift in the flour & salt, beating vigorously to form a smooth mixture that comes away from the sides of the pan.
  3. Allow the dough cool for a few minutes.
  4. At this point you can either transfer the mixture to a stand mixer or continue using a wooden spoon in the pan. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl & beat into the mixture a small amount at a time.
  5. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
  6. Preheat the oven to 220° C
  7. Transfer the mix to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle. On a lightly greased baking tray, pipe the mixture out into 10-15cm long eclairs.
  8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp & golden brown.
  9. Remove from the oven and make a small slit along the length of the eclairs to let the steam out. Turn the heat off & return the eclairs to the oven for 5 minutes to dry out.
  10. Place on a cooling rack & allow to cool.
Baking a Mess /

IMG_7080IMG_7081

IMG_7082     IMG_7083

While the eclairs are cooling, make the salted caramel, cream & ganache.

Salted Caramel & Ganache


Write a review
Save Recipe
Print

Total Time
10 min
Total Time
10 min
Salted Caramel
  1. 300g caster sugar
  2. 60ml water
  3. 280ml double cream
  4. 30g unsalted butter
  5. 1 tbsp sea salt (or to taste)
Ganache
  1. 180ml double cream
  2. 100g milk chocolate
  3. 100g plain chocolate
You will also need
  1. 300ml double cream
Salted Caramel
  1. Place the sugar and water into a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring to the boil. Do not stir at this point.
  2. When the sugar has dissolved and the colour changes to amber. Remove from the heat and add the cream, be careful as the mixture will bubble violently and may spit.
  3. When the bubbling stops, add the butter & stir, it may bubble again at this point.
  4. Return the pan to a medium heat and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring the whole time, until the caramel is smooth. Add the salt, you may want to add a little at a time if you don’t want it too salty, tasting as you go along (caution: very hot)
  5. Leave the caramel to cool completely. You can be made the day before and stored in the fridge.
Ganache
  1. Heat the cream in a saucepan, be careful not to let it boil.
  2. Break the chocolate into a bowl & pour over the cream, stir until smooth.
Assembling the Eclairs
  1. Whip 300ml of double cream with 1 tbsp icing sugar. Once the cream is whipped, stir through 2 tbsp of the salted caramel to create a ripple effect, do not fully combine.
  2. Pipe the cream into the middle of the eclairs.
  3. Drizzle the ganache & more of the salted caramel over the filled eclairs.
  4. Finish with a sprinkle of course sea salt.
Baking a Mess /

IMG_7087

JWP_6679

JWP_6738