Chocolate Caramel Eclairs
From Sainsbury’s
Traditional eclairs with a caramel flavour.
Serves: makes 24 eclairs
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Cooking time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients
250ml water
75g unsalted butter
150g strong plain flour, sifted
8 medium size eggs
100g caster sugar
500ml milk
50g cornflour
284ml carton whipping cream
100g Deluxe Belgian dark chocolate
½ teaspoon sunflower oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6.
Place the water and butter into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the flour, return to the heat and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is shiny and comes away from the side of the pan.
Spoon the mixture into a bowl and beat on a low speed to cool the mixture slightly for approximately 4 minutes. Gradually add 4 eggs one at a time, beat well between each addition.
On a greaseproof paper lined oven tray, pipe the choux paste (using a piping nozzle 1cm in diameter) into 5cm lengths. Place the tray in the oven and bake the eclairs for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Pierce the cooked eclairs to release the steam. Cool on a wire rack.
Place the sugar into a saucepan over a moderate heat, stir gently from time to time. When the sugar becomes a dark brown colour pour on the milk and bring to the boil. Separate the remaining eggs and place the yolks and cornflour in a bowl and mix.
Pour some of the boiled milk onto the eggs and then return to the pan. Cook until it thickens, stirring continuously, this takes 3-4 minutes. When it has thickened pour through a sieve, cover the surface with clingfilm and allow to cool. Refrigerate until cold.
Whip the cream and add to the chilled pastry cream. Melt the chocolate. Mix 1 teaspoon oil with the dark chocolate.
To assemble the eclairs – Using a small sharp knife make 2 small round holes on the underside of the eclair 1.5cm from each end. Put the caramel pastry cream into a piping bag with a ½cm plain nozzle and fill the eclairs. Dip each filled eclair into the dark chocolate and leave to set on a wire rack.
