Caramel and popcorn eclair
– choux pastry,
– caramel custard,
– coloured white fondant,
– popcorn.
Material used
– micro-perforated baking mat
– fluted tip
– pastry bag
– filling tip
– lightning bolt
Ingredients
Choux pastry
✔60g water
✔60g milk
✔70g flour
✔55g butter
✔Salt
✔1 teaspoon sugar
✔2 or 3 eggs (depending on size)
Caramel
✔75g caster sugar
✔50g butter
✔50g liquid cream
Pastry cream
✔400g milk
✔60g sugar
✔4 egg yolks
✔20 g cornstarch
✔35 g butter
✔80g caramel
Icing
✔115g white fondant
✔30g glucose
✔Caramel coloring
+popcorns
The recipe
For approx. 6 éclairs
Icing
✔115g white fondant
✔30g glucose
✔Caramel coloring
Pour all ingredients into saucepan. Heat white fondant to 60°C in double boiler. Add caramel coloring. Mix well. Pour onto silicone tray and place in the freezer for a few hours.
Caramel
✔75g caster sugar
✔50g butter
✔50g liquid cream
Melt the powdered sugar in a saucepan. When the sugar is golden brown and liquid, remove the saucepan from the heat and gradually add the 50g salted butter, sometimes returning to a low heat to mix well. Add 50g of previously heated liquid crème fraîche, to prevent the caramel from hardening.
Pastry cream
✔400g milk
✔60 g sugar
✔4 egg yolks
✔20 g cornstarch
✔35 g butter
✔80g previously made caramel
Heat the milk.
Mix the yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl and heat the milk again.
Pour the hot milk over the sugar/yolk mixture. Stir. Pour back into the pan. Stir until thickened. Add the caramel. Mix well. Finally, add the butter, cut into pieces. Set aside in a bowl, filter and chill.
Choux pastry
✔60g water
✔60g milk
✔70g flour
✔55g butter
✔Salt
✔1 teaspoon sugar
✔2 or 3 eggs (depending on size)
+powdered sugar and cocoa butter
Heat the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Mix well to dry out the dough for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the beaten eggs gradually, mixing well between each egg.
Poach the éclairs on a baking sheet lined with a microperforated baking mat, using a fluted tip. Sprinkle with a mixture of powdered sugar and cocoa butter powder. Bake at 175°C for 35 to 40 minutes (time may vary according to oven). Place a tea towel over the oven door to allow steam to escape, then cool on a wire rack.
Popcorn
Pour a little oil and a few corn seeds into a saucepan. Cover with a lid and heat until all the seeds burst.
Place the popcorns in a pan with the remaining caramel. Heat and stir to coat all popcorns. Place on a baking tray or sheet of baking paper to cool, trying to separate them as much as possible.
Assembly
Remove the crème pâtissière from the fridge. Loosen it a little with a spatula, then fill a pastry bag fitted with a pastry tip. Make two small holes under each éclair and top with cream. Top each éclair with fondant. Decorate with caramelized popcorns at the last minute, before serving, otherwise they will soften in the fridge.
