Saturday, September 22, 2007

Ingredient 101 "The Éclair"

OHhhhhhh..... one of my personal faves!
(If they are made properly, of course. ;-)

Step #1
The Choux Pastry

Water, farm fresh eggs, unsalted butter & organic flour.

(Need exact measurements? For a detailed recipe click here.)

Boil the water & butter:
Add to your flour in one go and mix briefly:
Add your eggs one at a time:
Until you have a soft sexy silky smooth dough:
Pipe into Éclair shapes:
Bake until golden brown:
When cool enough to handle,
break apart (or slice if necessary) for filling.

Step #2
The Pastry Cream


Organic milk, eggs, corn starch, sugar & a vanilla bean.

I use:
4 cups milk
3 eggs
2.5 oz. starch
1 vanilla bean
8 oz. sugar

I use turbinado sugar for superior flavour.
Whisk it into your milk and heat until steaming.
Stir your corn starch and eggs together, then add a bit of the hot milk.
Mix until smooth and pour back into the hot milk whisking constantly.
Keep on medium heat, whisking until it suddenly gets lusciously thick,
like this:
Should you desire, at this point, you can fold in some melted chocolate for a double chocolate Éclair!

Step #3
The Chocolate Glaze


It would be at this point I would show you how to fill them.
But 2 things happened.
1) I can't pipe and photograph whilst holding the Éclair all at the same time
and
2) I got all excited because I immediately needed to eat one very very very fast for the foodporniness took hold of a hungry jin.

MMMmmmmm..... Yummy!!! Look:

A small token
to be taken
by a jin
and her Brit
to Stumpjacks
for cappuccino
live music
and a chance to sit.

Time for bed
after a midnight treat
a jin and her Éclair
Isn't that sweet?!

27 Responses to “Ingredient 101 "The Éclair"”

Dino said...

so that is where you went on date night. Interesting we usually bring just a bottle of wine ;)

Gyrobo said...

It must be hard to make things like this while in a moving vehicle. That's all I can say.

Ruela said...

Like very much éclairs, what wonderful vision.

jin said...

katy:

Yep! That's where we went. First time there and I think they've been open over a year already! Cute 'lil place and the guy playing blues was really good. Strong capps too, just how we like 'em! Oh...annnd it's open until 9PM! A coffee shoppe! How excellent! You know we don't hang out in bars, so we have a new option. Yay!

jin said...

gyro:

haaahahahaa....
Damn, I'm good!
;-)

jin said...

ruela:

Thank you! :-)))

I promise, your tribute is coming up next post! I'll try and get it up by Tuesday or Wednesday.
;-)))

Anonymous said...

SWÉÉT!

but this proves
that unlike mortals,
a jin does not simply get busy in the kitchen for a few days... rather, she bakes up extraordinary sweet magic!

/t.

jin said...

Haahaaa!!!!

/t.
I very much
adore the idea
that I am not a mere mortal.

;-)

AngelConradie said...

oh jin... visiting your blog is sheer mouthwatering torture!!! does that make sense?

AngelConradie said...

and pray tell jin darling... how the fork do you manage to look like you do with no double chin when you do what you do? i'd be in deep doodoo if i just lived near you!

Damn, now I have to go to the fridge and get out a (probably) 2nd rate cannolli!

Hey, aren't you concerned about giving away your secrets?

Unknown said...

C.P.: Nobody will EVER know about the 'Secret' ingredients found in Jin's concoctions... ;)

Jin, these look delectable. And I should know, I'm a connaisseur of fine éclairs. So neat of you to share their construction with us.

Diana Crabtree said...

That is so cool to see the process of them being made! Thank you for sharing!

jin said...

angel:

Thanks!! :-D

Awww...aren't you sweet! LOL! I am thinking I need to do a whole post sometime on my *lifestyle* and the (not-so-secret) reasons I can eat all this stuff and not gain weight....

jin said...

CP:

If it meant I could sit and have a chat with you over coffee I'd have one of those cannolli with you and I'd ENJOY it immensely I'm sure!!!

Tell you what... it'd probably take your average kitchen baker a whole day to make a batch of éclairs if they even chose to attempt my recipe... and I make it look a hellovalot easier than it really is.
;-)

And, like Jewels points out, there's that truly *secret* ingredient that no one in the world can procure but moi:
"jinpassion"
;-)

jin said...

jewels:

Thanks!
When we meet I'm bringing éclairs & baklava!!!
:-D

Is next week good for you???

jin said...

diana:

You're welcome!
Thanks for visiting!
I ate two in your honor, just so you know.
;-)

Middle Child said...

Oh dearie me Jin they look absolutely beautiful...yummy. I had rice cakes (organic of course) and local cheese for breakfast... doesn't sound very interesting at al so now am ready for something like that... what a pity that I don't cook like you...sigh!

Kingcover said...

I LOVE eclairs! Never had a homemade one though, just always those ones that you have to defrost for 2 hours before you can get your grubby little fingers on them. *drooooool* :-P

mmmm choux - I need cream puffs stat!!!

jin said...

MC:

What a pity you don't live down the street from me too!!!
(Then you'd never need to cook again! ;-)

jin said...

king:

O.
M.
F.
G.

Never had a homemade Éclair?!!?

Awww..... you poor poor dear. Come over here and let jinny make it all better!
;-P

jin said...

phos:

OOooohhh.... I make those a lot, too.
In fact, I can't pipe them fast enough. I'll have people lined up waiting for them. No one else around fills them with *real* whipped cream!!!

Now I am fraking hungry.



Gnat.
.

jin said...

Me too gnat!
Guess I'll go have 2 éclairs; one for each of us!
;-)
*stifled giggle*

darkfoam said...

oh, man....
and to think i clicked on these before breakfast and my cup of coffee.
now i'll be craving them all day long. they look wonderful

jin said...

Thanks foam!! :-)
If it makes you feel any better I would love one right now too but I don't have any left.
*pout*
LOL!