Edward’s Chocolate Éclairs (Makes 12-15)
Ingredients
- 9floz/250ml cold water
- 4oz/110g butter
- Pinch of sugar and salt
- 5oz/150g strong flour4 large eggs
- 8floz/225ml whipped cream
- 4oz/110g dark chocolate
- 2floz/50ml pouring cream
The process
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4
Grease two baking sheets with melted butter.
Put the butter, water, salt & sugar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
It is important that the mixture comes to the boil, if you just melt it and do not allow it to come to the boil the mixture will go dramatically wrong.
Take the saucepan off the heat.
Sift the flour and add it, in one piece, to the boiling liquid.
Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon.
Return the saucepan to the heat and beat continuously until the mixture comes clean away from the sides of the saucepan. You are cooking the flour at this stage.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for about five minutes.
In a separate bowl whisk the eggs together, then slowly beat them into the cooked paste. I tend to use an electric whisk as the mixture can be quite stiff. Add the eggs little by little, beating thoroughly between each addition.
Using a piping bag, pipe the choux pastry into long strips about 4 inches / 10cm long. You should get approximately 12-15 éclairs out of the mix. Bake for 30-35 minutes until they should sound hollow when tapped on the underneath. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile make the icing. Place the cream into a medium saucepan and heat gently.
Chop the chocolate into pieces and whisk it into the warmed cream and whisk continuously over a low heat until a smooth glossy icing is achieved.
When they are cool, split each éclair, fill with the whipped cream and spread each éclair with the dark chocolate ganache topping.
Edward Hayden is at your service…
Cookery school
Each class is delivered by Edward with his usual sense of passion, fun, knowledge and culinary integrity, and is sure to be enjoyed by all.
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Check out some of my great recipes using some easy to source ingredients. The recipes won’t take you that long to create in terms of time commitment but are guaranteed to impress your diners!
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Books
Edward has published three cookery books. His first self published book, ‘Edward Entertains’ was released in 2008 and is sold out. His next two publications ‘Food to Love’ (which was awarded the prestigious Kerry Food Book of the Year) and ‘Food for Friends’ were published with The O’Brien Press. He is currently putting the finishing touches to his next book, due for release next year.
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Over the last 12 years I have acquired a wealth of experience hosting cookery demonstrations around the country at food festivals, hotel function rooms, agricultural shows, school halls as well as many other varied venues. Give us a shout if you would like to arrange a promotional or fundraising cookery demonstration in the future.
see demosCookery school
Each class is delivered by Edward with his usual sense of passion, fun, knowledge and culinary integrity, and is sure to be enjoyed by all.
see classes