French Peaches And Cream Éclairs Recipes

PEACHES 'N' CREAM ECLAIRS WITH BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Make choux pastry:
• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in upper third. Butter a large baking sheet.
• Bring butter, water, and salt to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over high heat, stirring until butter is melted. Reduce heat to medium. Add flour all at once and cook, beating with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan and forms a ball, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at high speed after each addition.
• Transfer mixture to pastry bag and pipe 8 (5-inch-long) strips (about 1 inch wide) onto baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart.
• Bake éclairs 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 400°F and continue to bake until golden, puffed, and crisp, about 15 minutes more (leave oven on). Immediately pierce side of each éclair with tip of a paring knife and return to oven to dry, propping door slightly ajar, 5 minutes. Halve an éclair horizontally: If still moist inside, return éclairs to oven and dry 5 minutes more. Cool éclairs completely on a rack, about 25 minutes.
• Make caramel sauce while éclairs cool:
• Heat sugar in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is a dark amber. Remove from heat and immediately spoon about 1 teaspoon of caramel along top of each éclair, spreading it with back of spoon. Add water and salt to remaining caramel in skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all of caramel is dissolved. Add butter and bourbon, swirling skillet to incorporate. Remove from heat and keep sauce warm, covered.
• Make filling:
• Cut peaches into thin wedges and toss with 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat cream with bourbon and remaining tablespoon sugar using cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks.
• Assemble éclairs:
• Halve éclairs horizontally. Put bottom halves of éclairs on plates and top with whipped cream and peaches, then cover with top halves of éclairs. Drizzle plates with caramel sauce.

ECLAIRS

Steps:

• First, make the choux pastry. Put the butter in a saucepan with 450ml water. Sieve the flour into a large bowl and set aside. Bring the butter and water to a fast boil, simmer until the butter has melted, then tip in the flour and beat like mad with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and is lump-free. Tip into the bowl and spread the thick paste up the sides a little to help it cool quickly, then leave for 10 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and cut two pieces of baking parchment to fit two baking sheets. Using a ruler and pen, mark 10 lines about 12cm long over each piece, leaving plenty of space between the lines, then flip the parchment over. Fit a piping bag with a large round piping nozzle, about 1.5cm wide.
• When the flour paste has cooled but is not cold, start adding the egg, bit by bit, beating well between each addition until you have a smooth batter which will reluctantly drop off the end of your spoon (you can do this in a freestanding mixer if you have one). You may not need to use all the egg, so add it slowly. Transfer to your piping bag and use a little of the mixture to stick the parchment to your trays.
• Pipe the choux onto the baking sheet, using the lines as a guide. Pipe slowly so the eclairs aren't too skinny - each one should be about 2.5cm wide x 12cm long. Bake for 35-40 mins, swapping the trays around for the final 10 mins. The choux should be puffed, golden and sound hollow when tapped. You may wish to sacrifice one eclair to make sure the inside is completely dried out - if it's still moist, the eclair will sink when cooling. Once baked, leave to cool completely. (Can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container, reheat in the oven for 5-10 mins to crisp up before filling.) Split each eclair through the middle with a serrated knife.
• Now, make the crème pâtissière. Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan. Heat until just simmering, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, tip the egg yolks into a bowl and add the sugar and cornflour, whisking together until smooth. Pour over the milk mixture, mix, then pour back into the saucepan. Cook over a medium heat for 5-8 mins until the crème pâtissière thickens to a thick custard consistency. Sieve into a jug, cover the surface with cling film and chill for at least 3 hrs, or up to 3 days.
• To fill and glaze your eclairs, choose one of our flavours - raspberry & cardamom, lemon & passion fruit, salted caramel & popcorn or elderflower & meringue.For more help, see our how to make choux pastry and eclairs video.

ECLAIRS II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
• In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts completely. Reduce heat to low, and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and begins to form a stiff ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely after each addition. With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a No. 10, or larger, tip, spoon or pipe dough onto cookie sheet in 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips.
• Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake 20 minutes more, until hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the filling, combine pudding mix and milk in medium bowl according to package directions. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold whipped cream into pudding. Cut tops off of cooled pastry shells with a sharp knife. Fill shells with pudding mixture and replace tops.
• For the icing, melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth and has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and drizzle over filled eclairs. Refrigerate until serving.

ECLAIRS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a rack in the center. Line two unrimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats (French nonstick baking mats).
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch (Ateco No. 806) tip with pate a choux batter; pipe out oblong shapes, about 3 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide, onto prepared baking sheets at 2-inch intervals. Gently run a fork dipped in water along each top, making straight lines to ensure even rising.
• Cover one baking sheet with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator. Transfer the second sheet to the oven. Bake 10 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Turn off oven; prop door open slightly to let steam escape. Allow eclairs to dry in oven about 15 minutes, or until the center is damp but no wet dough remain (test by cutting into the center of one). Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Raise heat back to 425 degrees and repeat process with remaining batch. If serving immediately, fill eclairs while still warm so they can take more cream; if filling at a later time, insert a skewer into one end, and move it around to expand opening for cream; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir pastry cream to soften. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and filling tip (Ateco No. 230) with pastry cream. Insert tip into one end of each eclair; fill. Serve, or glaze as follows.
• To make the glaze, combine 1/4 cup water, corn syrup, and s ugar in a small saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil, washing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Once at a boil, remove from heat; add chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes; stir gently until smooth. Transfer glaze to a shallow bowl. Dip top of each eclair into glaze; let excess drip off before turning over. Transfer to a wire rack to allow glaze to set. Serve.

PEACHES AND CREAM FRENCH TOAST BAKE

Steps:

• Spread cream cheese thickly on 1 side of each slice of bread. Cascade the bread in 2 rows in the bottom of a baking dish.
• Combine eggs, milk, peach syrup, and vanilla extract in a bowl; whisk to combine. Pour mixture over bread. Arrange sliced peaches on top. Pour melted butter over the peaches. Cover baking dish and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Sprinkle pecans on top of bread mixture just before baking. Sprinkle brown sugar on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, about 45 minutes.

CLASSIC FRENCH ECLAIR RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large medium sized pot, add water, milk, butter, salt, and powdered sugar. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a boil.
• As soon as the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat, add flour, and stir quickly. Return pot to heat and cook for 2 more minutes on medium heat to remove flour taste, stirring constantly.
• Remove dough from heat and pour dough into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
• Turn the mixer onto low and mix for 3 minutes to begin cooling down the dough.
• Turn the mixer up to a 3 on a 10 speed mixer, scramble the eggs with a fork, and begin adding them a little at a time. The pate a choux may curdle a little with each addition, but the dough will come back together. You know you've added enough egg when you can draw a line in the dough and it slowly sinks back in.
• Draw 4 or 5 inch lines (with pencil) on parchment paper, spaced 2 inches apart. Flip the paper over pencil side down on a rimmed sheet tray. Pipe the eclairs using a piping bag and Wilton 8B french star tip. If you are having difficulty breaking away from each eclair, use scissors to cut the dough for a clean stop.
• Spritz eclairs with water and dust lightly with powdered sugar.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes. Eclairs should be very golden brown all around and firm to the touch.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack, about 1 hour.
• See directions here.
• When you are ready to fill the pastry shells with pastry cream, it's time to make the ganache. Bring heavy cream to a boil over medium heat.
• Place chocolate in a bowl, and pour hot cream over the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to sit for 3-5 minutes, and then gently whisk the cream and melted chocolate together. Do not over whisk, as this can "break" the ganache, making it no longer smooth and creamy.
• Optional: Whip the whipped cream to stiff peaks, and fold into the pastry cream. This is optional if you want a lighter pastry cream vs the standard pastry cream, which is a bit heavier.
• Poke 3 holes in the bottom of each eclair with a #6 or #7 tip, or poke a hole in one end of the eclair. Place the tip in a piping bag fitted with a coupler, and fill with pastry cream. (Be sure to stir pastry cream well before putting it into the bag so it is smooth.)
• Insert the tip into each hole of the eclair and fill until each section of the shell is completely filled. You will know it is full if the pastry cream starts to push out of one of the other holes just slightly.
• Repeat with all eclairs.
• Dip the tops of the eclairs in the melted ganache, and add any garnishes desired(such as these crispearls or cocoa nibs). Allow the eclairs to dry for storing in the refrigerator. Eclairs are best eaten the same day, but are still delicious for a couple of days longer. The firmness of the shell softens after being in the fridge for a while, so they are definitely best the first day.

FRENCH PEACHES AND CREAM ÉCLAIRS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in upper third. Butter a large baking sheet.
• PASTRY:.
• Bring butter, water, and salt to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over high heat, stirring until butter is melted. Reduce heat to medium. Add flour all at once and cook, beating with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan and forms a ball, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at high speed after each addition.
• Transfer mixture to pastry bag and pipe 8 (5-inch-long) strips (about 1 inch wide) onto baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart.
• Bake éclairs 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 400°F and continue to bake until golden, puffed, and crisp, about 15 minutes more (leave oven on). Immediately pierce side of each éclair with tip of a paring knife and return to oven to dry, propping door slightly ajar, 5 minutes. Halve an éclair horizontally: If still moist inside, return éclairs to oven and dry 5 minutes more. Cool éclairs completely on a rack, about 25 minutes.
• SAUCE:.
• Make caramel sauce while éclairs cool:.
• Heat sugar in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is a dark amber. Remove from heat and immediately spoon about 1 teaspoon of caramel along top of each éclair, spreading it with back of spoon. Add water and salt to remaining caramel in skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all of caramel is dissolved. Add butter and bourbon, swirling skillet to incorporate. Remove from heat and keep sauce warm, covered.
• Make filling:.
• Cut peaches into thin wedges and toss with 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat cream with bourbon and remaining tablespoon sugar using cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks.
• Assemble éclairs:.
• Halve éclairs horizontally. Put bottom halves of éclairs on plates and top with whipped cream and peaches, then cover with top halves of éclairs. Drizzle plates with caramel sauce.

PEACHES AND CREAM, LITERALLY

Steps:

• Cut each peach in half along the crease, twist open, and remove the pit. Peel and slice. Cut slices in half to get roughly 2 cups of sliced peaches.
• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until a syrup forms, about 3 minutes. Stir in peaches until coated. Bring syrup back to a light simmer, about 1 minute. Immediately remove from heat and pour mixture into a bowl.
• Transfer peaches into a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Divide mixture between serving glasses, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely chilled and cream has absorbed all the peach flavor, at least 3 hours.