Eclairs? Be still my heart...

**This post was originally published on HonestCooking.com, a brand new online food magazine, for which I am a contributor. The website launched in March, and it is a great new resource for recipes, travel, restaurant reviews and foodie opinion pieces. Check it out here!**

I had no clue that I held a secret, deep down, buried-in-the-depths-of-my-soul obsession with eclairs. I feel that this love/want/desire/need has always been there, waiting to be discovered, but I don't think I have been exposed to a serious eclair in the 26 years I have been on this pastry-filled planet.

People think I am insane when I tell them that I don't really like sweets that much. Then their jaws drop the rest of the way to the floor when I say I am just not that into chocolate. Then they practically faint when I follow that up with the news that I am in pastry school and I tend to spend my days making cakes and confections for showers and weddings, treats which I am not really tempted to eat. I know what tastes good, but just a taste is enough for me. The pleasure I get from sweets and desserts is the process, the ritual, the craft, and the art of making them, just not necessarily eating them.

It doesn't make any sense, I know, but there are important exceptions to my general ambivalence towards desserts, and one of those exceptions is shaped like a log, filled with pastry cream, and dipped in chocolate.

I have finally discovered what may be my perfect dessert. It starts with a neutral, fairly un-sweet pastry shell, which is similar to one of my great loves, the popover. Then you fill said shell with an amazing thick, rich, and refreshing pastry cream. I could stop here and be the happiest girl in the world. But adding just a very thin layer of chocolate ganache to the top takes it to pastry perfection. The chocolate adds just the perfect amount of sweetness, and coming from me, the typically chocolate-abstaining baker, says a lot to the importance of this component.

There are a few steps involved here, but each separate component is fairly simple and can be made a bit in advance if you aren't up for tackling the entire project in one go. My guess is though, once you start the process, you won't want to stop until you are biting into the creamy goodness that is the chocolate eclair. Try to save at least a few to share with others, you may win some hearts and make new friends. They are that good.

Chocolate Dipped Eclairs
adapted from Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen

You will notice that I measure everything on a kitchen scale, even liquids and eggs. This really is the best way to measure ingredients for baking, as it is very dependent on precision. If you do not have a kitchen scale, you can visit this site for approximate conversions: Cooking Conversions.

Pâte à choux:

• 1 lb (454 grams) water or milk
• 8 oz (227 grams) butter
• .18 oz (5 grams) salt
• 12 oz (340 grams) bread flour
• 1 lb 4 oz (680) eggs

Combine liquid, butter, and salt in a saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and add all the flour at once, stir vigorously to combine. Return the pan to medium-high heat, and stir constantly until mixture dries out a bit, forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer dough to a stand mixer (you can mix it by hand, but you might get blisters on your hand like I did, just a warning) and mix on low speed until dough has cooled a bit. Turn the mixer to medium speed and add the eggs in 4-5 additions. Wait until each addition is completely incorporated until adding the next addition, you may not need to add all the eggs.

When the pate au choux is ready, you should be able to drag a finger through the dough, as deep as your second knuckle, and the two sides of the dough created by the drag should slump back together and touch. You should still see a parting line, but the the sides should touch. If they stay apart, mix in a bit more egg. If they completely blend back together, you may have gone too far, and then well, I don’t know what to tell you. You can do one of two things, start over, or use the dough anyway. If you decide to use the dough, they will probably spread out more than you would like. They will still most likely be delicious, but there probably won’t be as much room for the pastry cream, and that is a shame.

Transfer the paste into a piping bag fit with a large plain tip, and pipe three inch long lines onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temp to 375 degrees F and bake until golden brown and cooked through on the inside. The best way to tell if they are done is to sacrifice one and break it open. It should have the consistency of a popover on the inside, hollow and still a bit moist, but not sticky or wet.

Pastry Cream:

• 2 lb (907 grams) milk
• 4 oz (113 grams) sugar
• 3 oz (85 grams) egg yolks
• 4 oz (113 grams) whole eggs
• 2.5 oz (71 grams) cornstarch
• 4 oz (113 grams) sugar (this is an additional 4 oz of sugar, to be used separately from the other 4 oz)
• 2 oz (57 grams) butter
• .5 oz (14 grams) vanilla extract

1. In a heavy saucepan, bring 4 oz sugar and the milk just to a boil. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the yolks, whole eggs, cornstarch, and the rest of the sugar until completely smooth. Temper the hot milk into the egg mixture, then return the mixture to the pan over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Stir in the butter and the vanilla and mix until completely incorporated.

2. Pour into a shallow pan, and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the entire surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for a few hours or overnight. Whip until smooth again before using.

Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 lb (454 grams) dark chocolate, chopped
• 12 oz (340 grams) heavy cream

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream just to a boil, remove from heat, add the chocolate and stir. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth. If all chocolate has not melted, place bowl over pan of gently simmering water and stir chocolate until completely melted and smooth.

2. When the eclair shells have cooled completely, take a star piping tip, and gently poke two holes in the bottom of each eclair. Pipe pastry cream into each hole to completely fill the eclair. Alternatively you can also use a bismarck tip if you have one, to pipe the cream into the eclair. Try to get as much cream inside as possible, trust me on this, you will thank me later!

3. After eclairs are filled, carefully turn each one over and dip the tops into the chocolate ganache. Place eclairs ganache side up on a baking sheet to set.

Valrhona Pots de Crème

I have this friend. She is a mom-to-be, a teacher, and an overall wonderful person, oh yes, and she is allergic to gluten. Why should this be important? Well, I suspect like many of you reading this, our get-togethers with friends have a tendency to center around food. We plan all our meetings around what we will be cooking, who's making what, and how many calories we can safely stuff into our bellies during the allotted time frame. It has been this way for years and years, since we all found an appreciation for good food and drink. You know, since we graduated from Funyuns and Mountain Dew to caramelized onion crostini and Sauvignon Blanc.

Maybe because I claim to know my way around the stove, or maybe because I am a total control freak, I have been in charge of the main meal for our bi-annual cabin weekends for the past four years or so. When my friend found out she had celiac disease, we all tried to cater to her special dietary needs throughout the weekend. The first year was a little rough. I found myself squeezed into a tiny five foot by five foot kitchen, preparing two pasta dishes and two gluten-free "pasta" dishes. I ended up with two potfuls of tomato flavored disintegrated gluten-free pasta mush, and about three hours of dish washing ahead of me. The next year I produced a three layer lemon pistachio gluten-free birthday cake, which tasted lovely, but was as dense as a brick.

Over the years, I have learned from these gluten-free disasters, and have changed the way I approach cooking for someone with a dietary restriction. Instead of picking a recipe, then adapting it to suit my needs, I now try to seek out naturally gluten-free foods to feature in my meals. Fresh vegetables, rich cuts of meat, cheese-laden potatoes, savory rices and grains...how hard can it be to plan a gourmet meal when you have all this at your disposal? Soon, it became a pinch to plan a completely gluten-free meal that we can all enjoy, with no substitutions, and no sacrificing.

This year, I finally applied this approach to dessert. Rather than making a tart shell or pastry with all kinds of crazy rice and spelt flours and xanthan gum, I sought out a dessert that was already gluten-free. I needed something that would be the crowning touch on a lobster dinner, something rich and decadent, where no one would miss a flaky, buttery pastry dough.

Enter Valrhona Chocolate Pots De Crème. These are really simple chocolate custards, just kicked up a notch or two with the addition of some of the best chocolate in the world. Featuring one single, amazing ingredient can be a great way of simplifying a dish when there are dietary restrictions at play. The taste of the Valrhona custard is so intense and deep, the gluten-free gal and the rest of the party, never even noticed the lack of flour that is usually so noticeable in american desserts. The most important part though was ending the meal with full bellies, happy hearts, and memories of time well spent with wonderful friends.

Dark Valrhona Chocolate Pots De Crèmeadapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
makes 8 individual custards

1 1/2 cups (355 ml) whole milk
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) heavy cream
2/3 cup (1,56 dl) sugar
6 ounces (170 grams) dark Valrhona (or any other brand high quality) chocolate, chopped
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup (0,6 dl) Dutch-processed dark chocolate, sifted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a medium sized saucepan, over a medium-low flame, heat the milk, cream, sugar, and chopped chocolate, whisking constantly, until chocolate is melted and sugar has dissolved, and comes to a simmer.
While this is heating, combine the egg yolks, cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

Once the cream mixture is at a simmer, it's time to temper it into the egg yolks. Pour a small amount (about 1/4 cup) of the hot chocolate milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Repeat this process two or three more times, whisking constantly, until you have a hot, loose, liquid mixture. While whisking, slowly pour the remainder of the chocolate milk into the yolks, and stir until completely incorporated.

Pass the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl, or a pitcher for easy distribution into the ramekins. Arrange eight ramekins on a baking sheet and fill each one about 3/4 full with the custard mixture.

Place the baking sheet on the middle rack on your oven, and carefully pour hot water into the sheet pan, filling it as full as possible, without overflowing. Bake custards for 35-40 minutes, until they are set. They will have a uniform, even jiggle when done, meaning the center should move just as much as the outer rim when jostled.

I have found that the easiest way to remove the custards from the oven is to use tongs to remove each ramekin separately, then turn off the oven, leaving the sheet pan full of water in the oven until it is cool. This way you wont have to try to carry a large sheet pan full of 325 degree water across your kitchen.

Let custards cool for about 20 minutes, and then refrigerate for a few hours, or optimally overnight until completely set and chilled.

For best results, top with fresh raspberries and freshly whipped cream, and serve in good company.

Creme Brulee Tartlets

How do you make creme brulee better than it already is? Add some cinnamon and vanilla bean, and put it inside a buttery, flaky pastry tart shell. That's how. Plus there is always the added bonus when making creme brulee of using a kitchen torch. There is nothing like a little pyrotechnics at 7:00 am on a saturday morning, am I right?

It may be a little more involved than your typical creme brulee, but it is so so worth it. Someone commented on the post I did about the mini fruit galettes, praising/giving me the crazy eye for taking the time to roll out each little disc of dough, and meticulously crimping each tart. Well folks, its true, I am kinda crazy. I will be the first to admit that. I take pleasure in the little things in life, and by 'little things' I mean teeny weeny food items. Making them is all part of the fun. Do most people like to sit at their center island for 12 hours rolling and re-rolling, filling and chilling, baking and cooling, freezing and thawing? No. But I do. I realize I am getting into Dr. Seuss territory here, so lets get on with the recipe.

I used the same pate brisee (short crust) recipe as I did for the mini stone fruit galettes. This made the baking marathon much easier by utilizing one component in two desserts, but they were so different from each other, that I don't think it was obvious. These rich little morsels are a fantastic addition to any dessert table, and next time you make creme brulee, think about putting it in a pastry shell, your taste buds will thank you.

Cinnamon & Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee Tartlets
adapted from Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook via AlmostBourdain.com
Makes about 20-24  3.25" Tartlets

720 ml heavy whipping cream
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise to expose seeds
10 egg yolks
80 grams granulated sugar, plus extra for torching
1 batch pate brisee, recipe below

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the cream, cinnamon stick, and vanilla bean and bring just to a simmer. Remove from heat, pour into a glass or metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight.

Reheat the cream mixture just to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a large metal or glass bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar for about a minute until the sugar is mostly dissolved.

Pour about 1/4 of the hot cream mixture through a sieve into the egg yolk mixture and whisk well to combine. Pour the rest of the cream through the sieve into the egg yolk mixture, and discard the leftover cinnamon stick and vanilla bean pod. Whisk well to combine.

Set bowl containing egg/cream mixture over a pot of barely simmering water to create a double boiler, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water itself. Cook, whisking constantly (this will give you arm a fantastic workout) over the simmering water for 10-15 minutes. Note that if you double this recipe, you will be whisking for much longer, about 25-30 minutes.

Once the custard has thickened, remove from heat and whisk for another two minutes to start the cooling process. Let cool at room temperature for about an hour, whisking every 5-10 minutes or so to aid the cooling. Once it has cooled, set a layer of plastic wrap directly on the custard, this will prevent it from getting a skin, and chill overnight to set up a bit.

The next morning fill the tart shells (see directions below for pastry crusts) with the custard. You can overfill them a bit and then use a off set spatula to scrape any excess off the top, leaving a nice flat surface for the torched sugar. Once all the tarts are filled, chill them for at least 30 minutes before torching.

Sprinkle about a teaspoon or so of sugar in a thin layer over each tart, and use a kitchen torch to caramelize sugar. Concentrate mostly on the center, and torch gently around the edges being careful not to burn the edges of the pastry. Chill the tarts for another 30 minutes to reset the melted custard and sugar. You can sprinkle on some chopped nuts, or garnish with some fresh raspberries.

Pate Brisee Tart Shells
from Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook via AlmostBourdain.com
makes about 20-24 shells

400 grams (14 oz) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
100 grams (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
2/3 cup water, chilled
665 grams (1 lb 7 1/2 oz) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Remove butter from fridge 20 minutes before mixing.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, water, and vinegar, stir to aid the dissolving of the sugar. Set aside in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Then, stir again to completely dissolve sugar.

In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt together a few times to combine. Add the butter, and pulse in one second bursts about 3-4 times until butter is cut in and evenly dispersed. You should have visible chunks of butter in your flour mixture, this is where the flakiness comes from.

Pour mixture into a large bowl and make a little well in the middle of the flour. Pour the vinegar water mixture into the well and gently mix liquids into the flour with a fork. When liquid is evenly dispersed, dump dough out onto a clean surface and knead gently a few times, just until dough comes together in one cohesive ball. It may be a bit shaggy or falling apart, but that's okay, while it is resting the moisture will bind everything together.

Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut 10-12 circles out of each disc of dough. Press each disc into a 3 1/4 inch fluted tart mould, being careful not to stretch the dough, as this will cause shrinkage when baking. Push the excess off the edge with your thumb, and make sure the dough gets into each nook and cranny of the tart mould. 

Freeze shells for at least 20 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line each tart shell with a small piece of tin foil and fill with beans, rice, or pie weights. This is called blind baking. It helps the dough to stay fairly compact and not puff up too much to give you ample room for your filling. Place tart shells on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until shells are a golden brown. You should flip the pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through for even baking. 

Let shells cool in moulds for at least 15 minutes, then gently un-mold and cool completely on a cooling rack. You can make these ahead of time, then freeze until ready to fill. 

Between these, the mini galettes, and the macarons, the bridal shower dessert table was a hit. The extra effort was absolutely appreciated by bride, groom, and guests alike.