Coffee Caramel Drizzle Eclairs
Equipment
- 2 sheet pan
- 1 Parchment paper roll
- 1 Medium saucepan
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 Fine mesh sieve
- 1 piping bag
- 2 piping tip 1 large round, 1 small round
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 120 milliliter water
- 120 milliliter whole milk
- 115 gram unsalted butter cubed
- 5 gram granulated sugar
- 3 gram fine sea salt
- 150 gram all-purpose flour sifted
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 240 milliliter heavy cream chilled
- 225 gram mascarpone cheese chilled
- 80 gram powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water, cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 gram granulated sugar for caramel
- 60 milliliter heavy cream warmed, for caramel
- 30 gram unsalted butter room temperature, for caramel
- 1 pinch sea salt for caramel
- 1 large egg beaten, for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt, bring to a full boil over medium heat.
- Remove from heat, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously until a dough forms.
- Return pan to medium heat and cook the dough, stirring, until it pulls away from the pan and leaves a thin film, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a mixing bowl and beat on low for 1 minute to release steam.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth, glossy, and falls from the spatula in a thick V shape.
- Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Pipe 4- to 5-inch logs onto the prepared pans, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Brush lightly with beaten egg and smooth any peaks with a damp fingertip.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F (200°C), then reduce to 350°F (175°C) and bake 20–25 minutes until deeply golden and firm.
- Turn off the oven, poke a small hole in each éclair with a skewer, and let dry in the oven with the door cracked for 10 minutes.
- Transfer shells to a rack and cool completely.
- For the coffee cream, whisk espresso concentrate and vanilla together and cool.
- In a bowl whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks.
- In another bowl beat mascarpone with powdered sugar until smooth, then mix in the cooled espresso mixture.
- Fold whipped cream into the coffee-mascarpone mixture until just combined and chill 20 minutes.
- For the caramel drizzle, heat sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat without stirring until melted and amber.
- Carefully whisk in warmed cream off the heat until smooth, then whisk in butter and a pinch of salt; cool until pourable.
- Pierce the ends or bottoms of the cooled shells and pipe the coffee cream into each until filled but not bursting.
- Drizzle the cooled salted caramel over the tops in thin ribbons.
- Chill the filled éclairs for 30 minutes to set before serving.
Notes
Aim for a dry, steamy pâte à choux by cooking the dough on the stove until it leaves a film; this prevents soggy shells. Eggs vary—add the last egg gradually and stop when the batter forms a thick V from the spatula. Pipe with firm, even pressure and keep logs uniform for even baking. Let shells dry in the warm oven after baking to maintain crispness. Keep all cream components cold for stable filling, and avoid overwhipping mascarpone to prevent graininess. Make caramel with warmed cream to minimize sputtering, and let it cool to a thick-but-pourable consistency before drizzling. Filled éclairs are best the day made; if making ahead, store shells airtight at room temperature and fill just before serving.
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