If you're about chocolaty decadent dessert, this one is for you.
One of my favourite treat of all time. Made with pastry cream, choux, craquelin, and a oh so exquisite ganache on top! You'll thank me later.
Ingredients
Craquelin
60 ml AP flour
3 tbsps Brown sugar
2 tbsps Butter (softened)
1 tbsp Cacao powder
Pastry cream
120 ml sugar
2 tbsps AP flour
4 tsps Corn starch
1 tbsp Cacao powder
1 egg
1 egg yolk
355 ml Milk
1 tsp 35% cream
Choux pastry
60 ml Water
60 ml Milk
3 tbsps Butter (softened)
1 tsp Sugar
1 Pinch salt
119 ml AP flour
2 Pcs eggs
Ganache
227 g 70% dark Chocolate
237 ml 35% cream
Preparations
Craquelin
In a stainless-steel bowl, mix all the ingredients until fully combined. Place the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll it to 1/8 po thick. Freeze for at least 30 min. Remove the top parchment layer and cut 6 rectangles ( 5 1/2 x 1 1/4 po) out of your dough. Keep in the freezer until needed.
Pastry cream
In a saucepan, infuse the milk and vanilla on medium high heat. Do not boil the milk. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the dry ingredients and add the egg. Whisk again until fully combined. Pour the milk over and whisk until smooth. Bring the mixture back to the pot and cook it until it thickens ( about 3-4 min. Take it off the heat and pass it through a sieve if necessary. Cover the pastry cream with a plastic film making sure it is airtight, place in fridge until completely cooled. When cold, place the mix in a piping bag with a star tip.
Choux pastry
In a saucepan, bring to a simmer the milk, water, salt, butter and sugar. Off the heat, add the cacao powder and flour and mix with a wooden spoon. Bring it back on the heat and keep stirring for 4-5 minutes or until the mix dry out (very important step). Place the dough in a mixer and mix until it cools off. Add the egg one by one, making sure it's fully incorporated before you add the next. Place the mix in a piping bag with a star tip. On top of a baking tray with parchment paper, pipe 6 eclairs ( 5 1/2 x 1 1/4 po) making sure you're leaving space in between. Top them up with the craquelins while making sure not to crush them. Place them in a 191℃ oven for 5 min then turn it down to 177℃ and bake it for another 20 min. DO NOT open the oven door to precent them to fall flat (and ruining your life). When cooked, take the out of the oven and let them cool down on a wired rack. Split the eclair 2/3 lengthwise and garnish the bottom with the pastry cream. Top up with the other side of the eclair.
Chocolate ganache
Place the chocolate and cream in a bowl on top of a double boiler. Whisk until full combine. Cool it off and place it in a piping bag with a flat tip. Garnish the top of the eclair with the ganache.
