Eclair doughnuts with vanilla cream and strawberries

Name: Eclair doughnuts with vanilla cream and strawberries
Ingredients: For the donuts: 3 eggs + 1 egg white left from the cream 300 ml water 100 ml oil 150 g flour 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel Vanilla cream: 450 ml milk 1 yolk 4 tablespoons

Dessert - Eclair doughnuts with vanilla cream and strawberries by Viorela J. - Recipia

Choux pastry balls filled with vanilla cream and served with strawberries are perfect for a weekend dessert, especially when you want something different from a regular cake. The dough is baked in the oven until it turns lightly golden, then cooled and filled with smooth vanilla cream. Fresh strawberries and dark chocolate complete the dessert without the need for additional toppings. Quick Info Preparation time: not specified exactly; includes dough preparation, cream preparation, and assembly Baking time: approximately 20-25 minutes Total time: not specified exactly; the dessert must also include the cooling time for the choux and cream Servings: the number depends on the size of the choux and the amount filled in each cup Difficulty: medium Recipe type: dessert with choux pastry, vanilla cream, strawberries, and chocolate Ingredients For the choux pastry 3 eggs 1 egg white, leftover from the vanilla cream 300 ml water 100 ml oil 150 g flour 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest For the vanilla cream 450 ml milk 1 egg yolk 4 tablespoons sugar 3 and a half tablespoons cornstarch Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean 150 g butter (65% fat) 4 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For assembly Strawberries 100 g dark chocolate Preparation Method 1. Preparing the choux pastry Place the water and oil in a saucepan and set it over heat. When the mixture starts to boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and add all the flour at once. Mix well, either with a mixer or a whisk, until the flour is incorporated. Do not add the eggs while the mixture is very hot. Incorporate the three eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Finally, add the leftover egg white from the cream. Add the vanilla extract and grated lemon zest, mixing until the dough becomes smooth. 2. Shaping and baking the choux Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the dough in a piping bag and form small choux, leaving some space between them. Put the tray in the preheated oven. For the first 5 minutes, bake the choux at a higher temperature, then reduce the temperature to a suitable level and continue baking until they turn golden brown. In total, they should be ready in about 20-25 minutes. Remove the choux from the oven and let them cool before filling. It is important that they are cool when you add the cream. 3. Preparing the vanilla cream In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the sugar. Add the cornstarch, a few tablespoons of milk, and the seeds scraped from half of the vanilla bean. Mix well so that the cornstarch dissolves and no lumps remain. Heat the remaining milk until boiling. When it reaches boiling point, pour in the cornstarch mixture and reduce the heat. Let the cream simmer until it thickens and reaches a pudding-like consistency. Stir constantly at the bottom of the saucepan to prevent the cream from sticking. When ready, remove the saucepan from the heat, cover the cream with plastic wrap, and let it cool. The wrap should sit directly on the cream to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. 4. Finishing the cream Beat the butter with the powdered sugar until the mixture becomes creamy. Add the vanilla extract, then gradually incorporate the cooled vanilla cream, one tablespoon at a time. Mix after each addition to ensure the final cream is smooth. The vanilla cream should be cold before being combined with the butter. 5. Filling the choux Cut a small lid off each choux without completely detaching it. Fill the inside with the vanilla cream using a piping bag. If you prefer, you can also use a spoon to add the cream, but the piping bag helps achieve a more uniform filling and maintain the shape of the choux. 6. Assembling the dessert Wash the strawberries well, remove the stems, and cut them in half if they are small. In cups, layer pieces of strawberries and the filled choux. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the dessert using a spoon, in the desired amount. Chill the cups before serving. Why I make this recipe often I love it because the elements can be prepared separately: the choux can be baked in advance, the cream can cool while the dough waits, and assembly is quick. The dessert is easier to serve in cups than as a cake, and the combination of vanilla cream, strawberries, and chocolate is well-balanced. Another advantage is that the size of the choux can be adjusted. If you make them small, you get more individual servings, and they are easier to arrange among the strawberries. Tips and Variations Tips Mix the flour well with the water and oil before adding the eggs. The dough should be smooth, without any unincorporated flour. Add the eggs one at a time, and after each egg, the mixture should be mixed. This step helps achieve a homogeneous dough that is easy to pipe. Do not fill the choux while they are warm. The cream can become runny, and the texture of the dessert will not be as pleasant. For the vanilla cream, stir continuously after adding the cornstarch mixture to the hot milk. The cornstarch thickens the cream quickly, and constant stirring prevents lumps from forming. The cooked cream and butter should be at similar temperatures when combined. In the source recipe, the cream is allowed to cool before being added to the butter whipped with powdered sugar. Substitutions The vanilla extract in the dough and cream can be used in the indicated amounts, along with the seeds from the vanilla bean used for boiling the cream. If you do not have a vanilla bean, the source does not provide a substitution amount, so it is better to keep the extract in the recipe without modifying the other ingredients. No alternative to dark chocolate is indicated in the original recipe. To maintain the original flavor, use dark chocolate. Variations You can change the presentation without altering the recipe components. The choux can be arranged in cups with pieces of strawberries, just like in the original version, or served separately with the cream inside and chocolate on top. If you have strawberries of different sizes, you can cut the smaller ones in half and the larger ones into suitable pieces for the cups. It’s important to remove the stems before assembly. Serving Ideas Serve the dessert cold, after the cups have been refrigerated. Start with a few pieces of strawberries, then add the filled choux and drizzle with melted chocolate at the end. The chocolate can be added to the cups with a spoon, in thin streams or small amounts over each choux. There is no need to mix it with the cream; in the original recipe, it is used as a topping. Frequently Asked Questions Why is the leftover egg white from the cream added to the dough? The egg white is used along with the three eggs in the choux pastry. In the ingredient list, it is mentioned separately because it comes from the yolk used in the vanilla cream. Can I prepare the cream in advance? Yes, the vanilla cream is cooked and then allowed to cool before being combined with the butter. It is important to cover it with plastic wrap during cooling and to use it cold in the next step. How long do the choux bake? Baking takes approximately 20-25 minutes. For the first 5 minutes, a higher temperature is used, then the temperature is adjusted to a suitable level until the choux are golden brown. When is the chocolate added? The chocolate is melted in a double boiler after the choux have been filled and the strawberries have been arranged in cups. It is drizzled on top with a spoon before the dessert is chilled. Can the choux be filled before cooling? It is not recommended. The choux should be allowed to cool, and the vanilla cream should be cold before filling. Otherwise, the cream may change its texture. Nutritional Values The values below are estimates. The quantity of strawberries is not specified in the recipe, and the number of servings depends on the size of the choux and how the dessert is divided. For the entire preparation, without being able to calculate the strawberries exactly, the recipe has approximately 4,200-4,500 kcal. If the dessert is divided into 10 servings, one serving may contain approximately: 420-450 kcal 6-8 g protein 35-42 g carbohydrates 28-32 g fat The values mainly come from flour, eggs, oil, butter, sugar, cornstarch, and chocolate. The strawberries add few calories compared to the other ingredients, but their quantity is not mentioned, so it cannot be included accurately in the calculation. Storage and Reheating Store the assembled dessert in the refrigerator and serve it cold. The filled choux placed with the strawberries are best eaten the same day, as the fruit can gradually soften the dough. Reheating is not necessary. The dessert is served cold after the cups have been refrigerated. If you prepare the components separately, keep the cream covered until use, and the choux should be allowed to cool before filling.

Eclair doughnuts with vanilla cream and strawberries

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