Coffee éclairs recipe

Impress your guests with this coffee éclairs recipe from TV chef James Martin. 

Éclairs are a great thing to have in your repertoire – and they’re not as difficult to make as they look.

When the time comes to fill them with cream, the trick is that rather than slicing the éclairs open or putting holes in the base, you fill them from the top. This way, the coffee icing seals in the filling, so that when you bite into an éclair, the cream doesn’t shoot out of the other end.

To try this coffee éclairs recipe, start by making the choux pastry with the first part of the recipe. And don’t forget: you’ll need a piping bag to make these.

Ingredients (makes 12–14 medium éclairs)

250ml water

100g cold butter, diced small

1tsp caster sugar

Pinch of salt

150g strong flour

4 eggs

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4 and line a baking sheet with silicone paper.

Pour the water into a pan and add the butter, sugar and pinch of salt. Bring to the boil slowly and boil for one minute. Add the flour in one go.

Cook for a few minutes, beating all the time, until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan cleanly and is smooth. Tip out onto a silicone-lined tray and leave to cool for five minutes.

Transfer the cooled mixture to a kitchen mixer or large bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, then continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and shiny, about two more minutes.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large, plain nozzle, then pipe 10cm-long éclair shapes onto the prepared baking sheet. Smooth out any bumps with the tip of a wet finger.

Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Remove from the oven and transfer the éclairs from the baking tray to a wire rack to cool.

To make the coffee éclairs…

Ingredients (serves 12-14)

1 quantity choux pastry éclairs

Butter, for greasing

For the vanilla cream:

1.2L double cream

2 vanilla pods, split and seeds removed

For the coffee icing:

350g fondant icing sugar

3tbsp water


2tbsp Camp coffee essence

Method

Prepare and bake the choux éclairs as described above.

Turn the oven up to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7 and grease a baking tray.

For the vanilla cream, pour the cream into a large bowl, add the vanilla seeds and whip to soft peaks.

To make the coffee icing, sift the icing sugar into a large bowl, add the water and coffee essence and whisk together.

Using the tip of a sharp knife, pierce a hole in the rounded end of each éclair. Place the éclairs on their sides and return to the oven for a further five minutes so that they become dry and crisp.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

To serve, transfer the vanilla cream to a piping bag fitted with a 6mm plain nozzle. Pipe the cream into the éclairs through the hole. Dip them into the icing to cover the top evenly.

Leave on the wire rack until the icing is set.

Recipe courtesy of James Martin – bbc.co.uk