Mocha Eclairs

The perfect way to try something new with our 80Noir Ultra chocolate beads... Not going to lie, they aren't that easy to make (unless you are a choux master!) but they are worth the try.

Choux Pastry for the Eclairs

Ingredients

• 300ml milk

• 130 ml water

• 100g salted butter

• 30g granulated white sugar

• 130g plain flour sifted

• 1 tsp vanilla extract option (I use vanilla powder)l

• About 4 large eggs (May need less - it depends on the consistency)

Instructions

Choux Pastry

• Preheat oven to 375°F / 200°C

• Place the water, butter, salt and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium heat while stirring occasionally. (Make sure the salt and sugar dissolve completely in the warm water, and the butter melts BEFORE the water comes to a boil).

• As soon as the water comes to a boil (with a few bubbles breaking through the surface), move the pot away from the oven and add all of the sifted flour into the boiling liquid. Working quickly, and using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture vigorously to allow the flour to absorb all the water and form a ball of dough, and remove any flour clumps in the dough. The dough should easily come away from the sides.

• Let the choux cool down, either put the choux on a plate to cool or push up the sides of the pan to cool down, needs to be around hand temperature.

• Crack all the eggs into a jug and whisk well to combine.

• When the dough has cooled down, mix in the vanilla

• Next add the eggs in 5 - 6 additions, mixing each addition well into the dough before adding more. You can use a stand mixer or a spatula to mix in the eggs. Stop adding eggs when the dough starts to get a sheen, and looks glossy. Then check for the right dough consistency with the choux pastry test (should reluctantly fall from the spatula in a v shape).

• Place the dough in a 16 inch pastry bag and secure the bag opening, and set it aside until you get the baking trays ready. Line a baking tray with a silpat mat.

• Fit a different pastry bag with a ½ inch French star tip. Then snip the end off of the choux pastry bag from the previous step, and place that in the bag with the French star tip.

• Hold the pastry bag at a 45° angle, with the French star tip touching the silpat. Pipe 8 - 10 eclairs (4 - 5 inches in length) on the silpat lined baking tray. When piping, make sure the ends are a little larger than the middle portion of the eclairs. Twist the piping tip at the end so that you end with a slightly pointed/jagged end.

• Dip your finger in water and pat the ends of the eclairs to flatten the pointed ends.

• Place the baking tray in the middle rack of your oven, and set the timer to 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, check if the eclairs have turned golden brown. If they have, then open the oven door and quickly prick each of the eclairs with a sharp toothpick or skewer on one end.

• Close the oven door and let the eclairs bake for a further 5 - 10 minutes until they turn a darker golden color. You want the eclairs to be baked a little longer so that they hold their shape better.

• Remove them from the oven, and immediately prick the eclair cases on the other end. Let them cool down for about 10 minutes on the baking tray and then transfer them onto a wire rack.

• Pipe more eclairs on the second silpat lined baking tray and bake. Repeat until you have used up all of your choux pastry.

• Once the eclairs have cooled down, they are ready to be filled. If you’re filling them later, place the unfilled shells in an air-tight container and freeze for later.

Mocha Creme Pat

• 130ml milk

• 1 cup of espresso

• 3 tbsp sugar

• 4 tsp of plain flour

• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste / extract / 1 vanilla bean pod

• 2 large egg yolks

• 30g 80Noir Ultra beads

Instructions

• Heat the milk & espresso over medium high heat and bring it to a simmer, almost to a boil.

• While the milk is being heated, place the sugar, egg and yolks, plain flour in a bowl. Whisk until you have a thick, smooth mix. Place the bowl with the egg mix on a towel or napkin (to prevent the bowl from slipping while whisking, in the next step), and set aside until the milk comes to a boil.

• As soon as the milk starts to bubble, remove it from the heat. Slowly pour about a half of the hot milk in a thin stream, into the egg mix, WHILE WHISKING CONSTANTLY to temper the egg mix. When the eggs have been tempered, add the egg mix back into the hot milk in the saucepan.

• Heat the custard base, over medium heat, while whisking vigorously until it starts to thicken – this should take about 1 – 2 minutes.

• While whisking, let the custard come to a boil (the custard will release bubbles). Lower the heat and cook for a further 1-2 minutes after you see the first bubbles break the surface. Remove from the heat.

• Pour the custard into a bowl and immediately cover the surface with clingfilm, making sure the clingfilm is touching the whole surface. This is to prevent a custard skin from forming on top.

• Let the custard cool down to room temperature and then let it chill in the fridge for a few hours, until it’s completely chilled.

• Use as needed after the pastry cream has been chilled.

When you are ready you can pipe the cream into the eclairs (They wont last long when they are made up, but you can make all of this in advance and assemble when needed).

Dark Chocolate Glaze

• 50g 80Noir Ultra dark chocolate

Instructions

• Heat the chocolate up in a Bain Marie, making sure the water doesn't touch the glass bowl, then stir until the mixture is dissolved.

• Carefully pick up the filled eclairs and dip the eclairs into the glaze and coat, whilst wiping it slightly at the end.

• Let it all cool down and then share with others (if you want to - or enjoy as part of your afternoon relaxation and make a hot chocolate and enjoy).