Raspberry White Chocolate Eclairs
Equipment
- 1 Medium saucepan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 stand mixer with whisk attachment or 1 hand mixer
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 silicone baking mat or 1 sheet of parchment paper
- 1 piping bag
- 1 large round piping tip 1/2 inch
- 1 small round piping tip 1/4 inch
- 1 offset spatula
- 1 Wire rack
- 1 Small saucepan
- 2 Medium bowl
- 1 Fine mesh sieve
- 1 instant-read thermometer
- 1 pastry brush
- 1 Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 120 milliliter water
- 120 milliliter whole milk
- 115 gram unsalted butter cubed
- 6 gram granulated sugar
- 3 gram fine sea salt
- 150 gram all-purpose flour sifted
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 250 gram fresh raspberries divided
- 60 gram granulated sugar for coulis
- 10 milliliter lemon juice
- 250 milliliter heavy cream cold
- 250 milliliter whole milk for pastry cream
- 60 gram granulated sugar for pastry cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- 20 gram cornstarch
- 10 gram unsalted butter for pastry cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 gram white chocolate finely chopped
- 60 milliliter heavy cream for glaze
- 20 gram cocoa butter or 1 teaspoon neutral oil optional, for glaze shine
- 10 gram freeze-dried raspberries crushed, for garnish
- 1 pinch fine sea salt for creams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan bring water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium heat until butter is fully melted.
- Add sifted flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon over medium heat until a film forms on the pan and the dough clumps, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the hot dough to a mixing bowl and beat on low for 1 minute to cool slightly before adding eggs.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth, glossy, and forms a V-shaped ribbon from the spoon.
- Pipe 10 logs about 12 cm long onto the prepared sheet using the large round tip, spacing well apart.
- Smooth any peaks with a damp finger and mist lightly with water to promote puffing.
- Bake at 200°C for 10 minutes, then reduce to 175°C and bake 20 to 25 minutes more until deeply golden and hollow-sounding.
- Pierce each shell with a skewer to vent steam and return to the oven (off) with the door ajar for 10 minutes to dry, then cool on a wire rack.
- For raspberry coulis, simmer 150 g raspberries with 60 g sugar and lemon juice for 3 to 4 minutes, then press through a sieve and cool completely.
- For pastry cream, heat 250 ml milk to steaming; whisk yolks, 60 g sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt until pale.
- Temper yolk mixture with hot milk, return to the saucepan, and cook whisking until thick bubbles form and the cream reaches about 85°C.
- Off heat whisk in butter and vanilla, then press plastic wrap on the surface and chill until cold.
- Whip 250 ml cold heavy cream to soft peaks and fold half into the cooled pastry cream, then fold in 2 to 3 tablespoons raspberry coulis to taste.
- Stir the remaining fresh raspberries (100 g) lightly into the filling, leaving some whole.
- Fit a piping bag with the small tip and fill with the raspberry diplomat cream, then poke two holes in the underside of each shell and fill until heavy.
- For glaze, heat 60 ml cream to steaming, pour over chopped white chocolate (and cocoa butter or oil if using), rest 2 minutes, then stir smooth.
- Dip the tops of the filled eclairs into the white chocolate glaze, letting excess drip, and set on a rack.
- Drizzle a little extra raspberry coulis over the glaze and swirl with a toothpick, then sprinkle with crushed freeze-dried raspberries.
- Chill the eclairs for 30 to 45 minutes to set the glaze before serving.
Notes
Aim for a dry panade before adding eggs; if the dough is too loose, the eclairs will collapse, so use the V-ribbon test rather than relying only on egg count. Use room-temperature eggs for smoother incorporation and pipe consistent lengths for even baking. Bake until well bronzed to ensure the interior dries, and always vent and dry in the turned-off oven to prevent sogginess. Cool fillings fully before folding in whipped cream to avoid melting, and only add as much coulis as keeps the cream thick. If your glaze seems too thick, thin with a teaspoon of warm cream; if too thin, add a little more chopped white chocolate. Store filled eclairs refrigerated up to 24 hours, but for best texture fill and glaze the same day you serve.
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