Éclairs with vanilla cream

Name: Éclairs with vanilla cream
Ingredients: 100 ml oil; 200 ml water; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 200 g flour; 6 eggs; 1000 ml milk; 5 eggs; 12 tablespoons sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 6 tablespoons cornstarch; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 150 g cooking chocolate; 2 tablespoons oil

Dessert - Éclairs with vanilla cream by Anca G. - Recipia

Éclairs with vanilla cream have puffed shells with a soft center and a thin layer of chocolate on top. The water-and-oil dough is filled with a milk, egg yolk and vanilla cream, thickened with cornstarch and folded with beaten egg whites. I like the cream firm enough to stay in the shell when I lift the top, without becoming pasty. Prep: 45 minutes. Cook: 42 minutes. Rest: 70 minutes. Total: 157 minutes. Servings: 12. About 400 kcal and 11 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the éclairs

100 ml oil
200 ml water
1/8 teaspoon salt
200 g flour
6 eggs

For the vanilla cream

1000 ml milk
5 eggs
12 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the chocolate topping

150 g cooking chocolate
2 tablespoons oil

Preparation

1. Put the water, oil and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, about 3 minutes. 2. Take the pan off the heat, add all the flour at once and stir until you have a smooth dough with no lumps. Leave it to cool for 10 minutes. 3. Beat in the 6 eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Spoon the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet in long shapes. 4. Bake the éclairs at 200°C for 25 minutes without opening the oven door. Take them out when puffed and browned, then leave to cool for 30 minutes. 5. Warm the milk over low heat for about 5 minutes. Separate the 5 eggs; mix the yolks with 6 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla extract. Add a few tablespoons of hot milk, the cornstarch and salt, then gradually pour the mixture into the milk, stirring constantly. 6. Cook the cream over low heat for 6 minutes, stirring, until thickened. Beat the egg whites with the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar until the sugar dissolves, then gradually fold them into the hot cream. Turn off the heat and leave the cream to cool for 30 minutes. 7. Cut the tops off the éclairs and fill the shells with the cream using a teaspoon. Set the tops back in place. Melt the chocolate with the 2 tablespoons of oil over low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring until smooth, then spoon it over the éclairs. 8. Leave the chocolate topping to set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Notes

I serve them with unsweetened black tea. The flour contains gluten, and eggs and milk are present in both the shells and the cream. Once filled and topped, they keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, though the cream gradually softens the shells. Size affects baking time: wide éclairs may need a few minutes longer than narrow ones, and the surface should be well browned before I take them out. I cut the tops with a serrated knife once the shells have cooled completely. If the cream seems soft while hot, I let it cool before deciding whether it has thickened; the cornstarch gives it body as it cools.