Ingredients:
1 recipe Choux Pastry (see below)
1 large egg
1 tsp water
? cup heavy cream
2 cups Vanilla Pastry Cream cooled (see below)
1 ? cups Rich Chocolate Frosting (see below)
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit degree. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the choux pastry in a pastry bag fitted with a ?- inch tip and pipe ten 4-inch strips of pastry onto the baking sheet.
2. Lightly beat the egg with the water and brush over the pastry. Score the top of the pastry with a fork to keep the pastry flat during baking. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 Fahrenheit degree and bake for 15 minutes more.
3. Remove from the oven and turn off the heat. Use the point of a sharp knife to make a few small cuts along the sides of the ?clairs to release steam. Return the ?clairs to the oven and leave the door slightly ajar for 10 minutes.
4. Transfer to racks to cool. Beat the cream with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff. Fold it into pastry cream. Just before serving, place the cream filling in a pastry bag fitted with a ? inch tip. Make a hole in one end of each ?clair and fill with 3 tablespoons of the filling. Spread the top of each ?clair with the frosting. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Choux Pastry Ingredients
2 cups water
2/3 cup cut-up butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
? tsp salt
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
5-6 large eggs
Choux Pastry Preparation:
1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the water, butter, sugar and salt in a large pan over medium-low heat. When the mixture boils, remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Use a wooden spoon to stir vigorously until a smooth paste forms.
2. Return to medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture pulls away from the pan sides. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one a time, until just blended after each addition. The batter should be shiny and stiff enough its shape if dropped onto a baking sheet. Add another egg if required.
Vanilla Pastry Cream Ingredients:
5 large egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
Pinch of salt
4 drops vanilla extract
Vanilla Pastry Preparation:
1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick. Bring the milk to a boil with the salt and vanilla, then stir it into the egg and sugar.
2. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture lightly coats a metal spoon.
Rich Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz bittersweet chopped chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Rich Chocolate Frosting Preparation:
? Bring the sugar and 1 cup cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the chocolate. ? Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 238 Fahrenheit or soft-ball stage. Remove from the heat.
?Add the butter and vanilla, without stirring and place the saucepan in a larger pan of cold water for 5 minutes before stirring.
? Beat with a wooden spoon until the frosting begins to lose its sheen, 5-10 minutes. Immediately stir in 1 tablespoon cream. Do not let the frosting harden too much before adding the cream. Let stand for 3-4 minutes then stir until it has a spreadable consistency. Add more cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, if it is too stiff.
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