Passionfruit eclairs

These French delights are filled with a rich passionfruit custard, which can be made up to three days ahead.

• makes

  8

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Episode of Everyday Gourmet: French Edition. Cooking. 21 minutes. Rated G.

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episode • Everyday Gourmet: French Edition • Cooking • 21mG

Ingredients

• 70 g caster sugar
• 25 g custard powder, or corn starch
• 110 g egg yolks (4-5 yolks)
• 80 g cooking cream
• pinch of salt
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
• 90 ml seedless passionfruit pulp (approximately 8 passionfruit)
• 90 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed

Choux pastry

• 130 ml cooking cream
• 130 ml water
• pinch of salt
• 10 g caster sugar
• 90 g unsalted butter
• 140 g plain flour, sieved
• 4 eggs
• 50 g flaked almonds
• 50 g icing sugar

Instructions

1. For the passionfruit custard, combine the sugar and custard powder in a bowl. Slowly add the egg yolks while whisking by hand.
2. Place the cooking cream, salt and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Pour the hot mixture over the eggs while whisking and then return it to the saucepan.
4. Add the passionfruit and whisk vigorously over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Reduce the heat and continue to whisk for 1 minute.
5. Transfer to a bowl and add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking by hand to incorporate.
6. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard and allow to cool at room temperature before placing into the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours (or up to three days, see Note).
7. For the choux pastry, preheat the oven to 170°C fan-forced. Line a tray with baking paper.
8. Place the cooking cream, water, salt, sugar and butter into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add in the sieved flour and stir vigorously.
9. Return to the heat and continue to stir until the dough develops an oily sheen and comes away from the sides of the saucepan. Transfer the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
10. In a separate bowl, break up the eggs with a fork.
11. Add the eggs to the dough in small increments and allow to incorporate completely after each addition. Test the dough intermittently to ensure you don’t add too much egg. This is done by taking a spoonful of the mixture and holding it sideways, if the mixture very slowly slides off the spoon it is ready to pipe.
12. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 15-16 mm round piping tip and pipe 10 cm lengths of choux pastry onto the lined baking tray. Alternatively, you can cut the piping bag and use it without a piping tip.
13. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-45 minutes, until the eclairs are firm and dark-golden in colour.
14. Turn the oven off and leave the door ajar to allow the eclairs to dry out for a few minutes.
15. Allow to cool completely before slicing the eclairs in half and filling with the passionfruit custard. Prior to serving, dust the eclairs with icing sugar.

Note

• The passionfruit custard can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
• Eclairs are best eaten on the same day.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.