Strawberry Eclairs
Equipment
- 1 Medium saucepan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 Fine mesh sieve
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 parchment paper sheet
- 1 large piping bag
- 2 piping tip 1 large round, 1 small round or Bismarck
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 Small saucepan for glaze
- 1 offset spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 120 milliliter water
- 120 milliliter whole milk
- 115 gram unsalted butter cubed
- 5 gram granulated sugar
- 3 gram fine salt
- 150 gram all-purpose flour sifted
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 250 gram strawberries hulled and diced
- 50 gram strawberry jam seedless
- 360 milliliter heavy cream cold
- 50 gram powdered sugar sifted
- 5 milliliter vanilla extract
- 1 gram fine salt
- 120 gram white chocolate chopped
- 20 gram coconut oil or neutral oil
- 2 drop red or pink gel food coloring optional
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan bring water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt to a simmer over medium heat until butter melts.
- Add sifted flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms and a film coats the pan, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a mixer bowl and paddle on low 1 to 2 minutes to cool slightly until just warm.
- Beat in eggs one at a time on medium, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next to reach a thick, pipeable consistency that slowly forms a V off the paddle.
- Fit a large piping bag with a large round tip and pipe 10 logs about 12 cm long, spacing well apart.
- Smooth peaks with a damp finger and mist lightly with water for better puff.
- Bake at 220°C for 10 minutes, then reduce to 180°C and bake 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden and firm.
- Turn off oven, poke a small hole in each eclair with a skewer, and return to the oven with the door cracked for 10 minutes to dry.
- Cool completely on a rack.
- For strawberry cream, whisk cold cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt to soft peaks.
- Fold in diced strawberries and strawberry jam until just combined, keeping the mixture fluffy.
- Fit a clean piping bag with a small round or Bismarck tip and fill with strawberry cream.
- Poke two or three holes on the underside of each shell and pipe cream to fill until slightly heavy.
- For glaze, melt white chocolate and coconut oil gently in a small saucepan or microwave until smooth, then tint with gel coloring if using.
- Dip tops of filled eclairs into the glaze, letting excess drip, and place on a rack to set.
- Chill filled eclairs 30 to 60 minutes to set the cream and glaze before serving.
- Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired and serve chilled.
Notes
Measure flour after sifting to avoid dense dough, and aim for a dough that’s glossy and pipes without spreading; if too stiff, beat in 1 to 2 teaspoons of beaten egg. Bake until richly golden to prevent collapse, and always dry the shells in the turned-off oven to keep interiors hollow. For neat piping, draw guidelines on the underside of your parchment. Keep cream and equipment very cold for quick, stable whipping, and fold strawberries gently to prevent weeping. The white chocolate glaze sets best when shells are cool; if your kitchen is warm, set eclairs in the fridge briefly after dipping. Eclairs are best the day made but can be stored filled for 24 hours; unfilled shells freeze well for 1 month.
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