Valentine Eclairs
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS
For the raspberry jam (to be prepared the day before):
-60 g sugar
-2 g pectin
-110 g raspberry puree
-30 g glucose
For the pink praline whipped cream (to be prepared the day before):
-2 x 100 g whole liquid cream
-100 g pink pralines
-100 g mascarpone
For the lychee whipped ganache (to be prepared the day before):
-100 g white chocolate
-50 g whole liquid cream
-80 g fresh lychee
-100 g whole liquid cream
For the pastry:
-125 g water
-50 g butter
-2 g salt
-75 g flour
-100 g to 125 g egg 2 to 3 pieces
-Pink food coloring
INSTRUCTIONS
For the raspberry confit (to be prepared the day before):
Mix the pectin with 40 g of sugar. Heat the raspberry puree with 20 g of sugar and the glucose until the temperature reaches 60 °C. Add the sugar and pectin, whisk and bring to the boil for a few seconds. Keep in the fridge until completely cooled. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with an 8 mm nozzle.
For the pink praline whipped cream (to be prepared the day before):
Boil 100 g of single cream then add the crushed pink pralines. Thicken over low heat for about 15 min. Filter and leave to cool completely in the fridge. Add 100 g of single cream and 100 g of mascarpone and whisk with a mixer until you obtain a firm whipped cream. Keep in a piping bag fitted with a 14 mm nozzle.
For the lychee ganache (to be prepared the day before):
Lightly melt the white chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave. Bring 50 g of liquid cream to the boil and pour it over the melted chocolate. Mix well with a whisk. Add the chopped lychees and the remaining 100 g of liquid cream. Mix everything (strain if necessary) and refrigerate overnight. Place the ganache in the bowl of a very cold mixer and whisk until you obtain a firm texture. Reserve in a bag fitted with a 14 mm nozzle.
For the dough:
In a saucepan, bring the water to the boil with the butter and salt, mixing regularly with a spatula. You must have a strong boil but especially not for a long time otherwise all the liquid will evaporate.
Off the heat, add the sifted flour all at once and mix gently. Put back on the heat and dry the dough until it forms a ball that comes away from the sides. Pour the dough into a salad bowl and flatten the dough on the edges to cool it.
In a bowl, break 2 eggs (100 g) and mix them with a fork. Add 1 third of the eggs and mix until completely incorporated. Do the same with the remaining 2 thirds. Check the consistency of your dough with the crest test (see here for the explanation). If the consistency is too dry, add part of the last egg and recheck the consistency. Continue until you obtain the perfect consistency. Add the coloring.
Put the dough in a bag fitted with a 16 mm nozzle (not fluted) or PF16 and pipe your éclairs on a baking sheet covered with greased parchment paper if necessary. Finish shaping the éclair with a clean upward stroke and flatten the dough with the end. The éclairs should be 12 cm long (make lines of this length on the baking paper and turn it over to dress the éclairs). Once cooked, they should be 2.5 cm wide.
Bake for 35 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C, opening the door after 25 to 30 minutes of cooking (do not open before if you do not want your éclairs to collapse). When they come out of the oven, leave to cool on a rack.
For dressing:
Cut off the top of each éclair and fill the inside with a little raspberry jam. Alternately pipe the pink praline whipped cream and the lychee ganache. Sprinkle with coarsely crushed pralines.
