Baking Advent Calendar day 12

I’m very well aware that a baking blog is not really the place to discuss politics, so I’ll restrict myself to saying that yesterdays UK election left me somewhat depressed and as a result I think that a sweet treat is called for. That’s why we’re having raspberry cream eclairs for Baking Advent Calendar day 12.

I always used to think of eclairs as one of those shop bought or restaurant only baked items. That dates all the way back to childhood when the mixture of crips chocolate on top and cream in the middle always made them my first choice. Then a couple of years ago  I discovered how to make choux pastry and they became something that could be indulged in at home as well.

Choux is a very light pastry that only uses butter, water, flour and eggs. Unlike other pastries there is no raising agent involved when you make it. According to legend it’s a recipe that was originally created by a chef in the kitchen of Catherine de Medici in 1540. Although I’m always a bit wary about food history when it tries to be that precise with dates.

This recipe makes 8 to 10 eclairs and they’re good enough to chase away anyones election blues.

Ingredients – choux pastry

• 100g butter
• 100g plain flour
• 0.5tsp caster sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Ingredients – for filling and topping

• 200ml double cream
• 2tbsp icing sugar
• 200g raspberries
• 150g dark chocolate
• 15g butter

Method

• To make the choux put the butter in a saucepan with 200ml of water and melt the butter over a gentle heat. Then increase the heat to bring to the boil. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl. Take the saucepan of the heat and add the flour mix. Stir until it forms a paste. Then beat the mixture until it comes away from the edge of the saucepan and forms a ball. Leave to cool for ten minutes.
• Heat the oven to gas mark 6 and line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Put the dough into a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle. Pipe a 10cm line onto the baking sheet. Pipe a second line parallel to the first and then a third line that sits on top of these two. This will form one eclair. Repeat 8 to 10 times.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• When you takes the buns out of the oven pierce the sides with a sharp knife. This stops them going soggy as they cool.
• Whip the cream and fold in the sugar. Add the raspberries to the cream and whip again. 
• Cut each cooled eclair in half horizontally. Spread raspberry cream on the bottom half. Place the top half back on to form a sandwich.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and then drizzle it on top of each eclair. For a finishing touch I add some dried raspberries.
• Leave the chocolate to set (put them in the fridge if you’re getting impatient by now) and then serve.