Home made Eclairs

 We went to a party on the weekend and we were asked to bring with us something to nibble. So we made eclairs.  When my boyfriend was 15 years old he worked every Saturday night in a bakery making all the delicious dreads and pastries that bakeries sell. One of the pastries being my favourite handmade eclairs.  Every now and then he feels inspired to make them and this time I asked him for the recipe. 

-The Dough.
Ingredients: 
¼ lt. Water, 
100gr butter, 
150gr 00 Flour, 
3 1/2 Eggs, 
½ tbs. Icing sugar.


Bring the water, butter and the sugar to boil. When boiling, slowly add the flower while stirring. Keep stirring on low heat until the dough forms a ball that doesn’t stick to the pan.
Take off the heat and stir in the eggs one by one with a wooden spoon until smooth. 

 Using a piping bag make little balls on a well floured baking try. Make even portions and give them plenty of space as they will double in size. Wet a finger in cold water to round off and flatten the pointed tops. 

Bake in the oven for 30min at 225°c until golden brown.

When cooled, cut off the tops and remove the soft dough from the inside to make space for the Creme Patissiere.

-The crème patissière

Ingedients: 
500ml milk 
2 eggs 
150g sugar 
50g flower 
A few drops vanilla extract or powder.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until foamy, than whisk in the flour and set aside.
Bring the milk to a boil  than slowly pour the milk onto the egg mixture, whisking all the time, then return the mixture to the heat. It is important to pour the hot milk onto the cold eggs before you return the mixture to the heat to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Bring the mixture back to the boil, whisking continuously until thickened.
Let it cool and set completely.
Then using a piping bag fill the eclairs with the crème patissière

-Chocolate topping.
Ingredients: 
150g chocolate 
Icing sugar  
1 tbs water
Warm the chocolate and water slowly, when melted add some icing sugar until smooth and shiny. Make sure it does not overheat. 
Spread out the chocolate on the tops of the eclairs and smooth over with a wet finger.

They were my last sugary treat before I embarked on my sugar free feast.