Mouth watering mini chocolate eclairs filled with Creme Patisserie

Yesterday Sarah and I catered for a 21st Birthday party. One of the things that we had to make were  70 chocolate eclairs filled with creme patisserie, otherwise known as Pastry cream. They were absalutely divine and were a hit at the party.

Here's the recipe for you to try! Let us know how they came out :)

Mini Chocolate Eclairs filled with Creme Patisserie:

Ingredients: (Makes +/- 60 mini eclairs)

Eclairs:

• 125g Butter
• 250ml water
• 125g/ 1 cup Plain flour (sifted)
• 4 eggs (lightly beaten)

Filling:

• 1 litre milk
• 8 tablespoons caster sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 eggs
• 8 tablespoons cornflour
• 10 tablespoons caster sugar
• 50g butter
• 1tsp vanilla powder/extract.

Topping:

• 30ml Cream
• 150g dark chocolate

Eclairs Ingredients

Creme Patisserie Ingredients

Method:

Eclairs:

1. Preheat the oven to 210 degrees centigrade
2. Grease 2 baking trays.
3. Combine the butter and water in a saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until the butter melts.
4. Increase the heat. bring to the boil, then remove from the heat.
5. Add the flour to the saucepan all at once and quickly beat into the water mixture with a wooden spoon.
6. Continue beating until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball.
7. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.
8. Beat the mixture with an electric beater to remove any excess heat.
9. Add the eggs (1 by 1) and beat thoroughly after each addition.
10. After all the eggs have been added the mixture should be glossy and thick.
11. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a plain 1.5cm nozzle.
12. Sprinkle the baking trays lightly with water.
13. Pipe the size of eclairs you want onto your tray, leaving room for expansion.
14. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
15. Reduce the heat to 180 degrees centigrade.
16. Bake for a further 15minutes until golden and firm
17. cool on a wire rack.

Filling: Creme Patisserie:

1. In a saucepan stir together the milk and 8 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla.
2. Bring to the boil over a medium heat.
3. In a medium bowl beat together the eggs and egg yolks.
4. Add the cornflour and sugar to the egg mixture and continue to beat until smooth.
5. When the milk comes to the boil, drizzle it into the egg mixture very gradually and continue to beat so as to not cook the eggs.
6. Return the mixture to the saucepan.
7. Slowly bring to the boil.
8. Stir the mixture continuously so that the eggs dont curdle at the bottom.
9. Once the mixture has thickened and come to the boil, remove from the heat.
10. Stir in the butter, mixing until well combined.
11. Pour into a heat proof container and place a piece of cling film directly onto the surface of the creme patisserie and refridgerate until needed.

Topping: Chocolate ganache:

1. Melt together the chocolate and the cream in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time. BE CAREFUL NOT TO LET THE MIXTURE SIEZE by allowing the mixture to overheat!
2. Mix together to get a thick, smooth, chocolate sauce consistency.
3. If the mixture separates and becomes grainy it has siezed.

Creating the final product:

1. Make a hole in the eclairs. ( I normally make mine underneath the eclair.)
2. Pipe the creme patisserie into the hole in the eclairs 
3. Dip the top of the eclair into the chocolate ganache... and VOILA!

Creme Patisserie



Mini Chocolate Eclairs!

Recipes adapted from: Sweet and Savoury bites - Jane Price
                                     Pastry Cream - Christini Beanie