Pourdouble cream into a small saucepan. Add Vanilla Extract, and heat over medium-low heat.
Meanwhile, roughly chop dark chocolate and put in a medium bowl.
Once the cream is simmering, pour over the chocolate. Cover with a lid, and let sit, a couple of minutes. Then, stir energetically with a rubber spatula until you have a smooth and shiny ganache. Place in the refrigerator, to chill, at least a couple of hours.
Preheat oven to 210°C/410°F. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Combinewater,milkandbutterin a large saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat. Once mixture is slowly boiling and butter is melted, remove from the heat and add both flours all at once, stirring well with a wooden spoon until a soft ball form. Return over low heat and cook, about 2 minutes, until a slight film forms at the bottom of the saucepan, stirring often. Set aside and let cool slightly.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until you get a smooth, shiny, soft-peak paste.
Spoon choux pastry into a piping bag, fitted with a large (1-cm/0.4″) star nozzle and pipe choux pastry into 14-cm/5.5″ long éclairs onto one of the baking trays until you have ten. With the remaining choux pastry you could pipe more éclairsorchouxon the second baking tray. Place baking trays in the hot oven. Bake at 210°C/410°F, for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Using a skewer, carefully piercethree holes at the bottom of each éclair, to let the steam escape and put them back in the warm oven to dry out, 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
For this recipe, you will only need four éclairs. The others (and choux) will freeze well, stored in zip-lock bags and can be kept up to three months in the freezer. You will only need to thaw them before using in sweet or savoury recipes.
Once the chocolate ganache has chilled, beat with an hand mixer, gradually increasing speed to high, until ganache becomes fluffy and a paler shade of brown. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
With a serrated knife, gently cut the topsoff each éclair. Pipe whipped chocolate ganache generously on the bottom of each. Gently press raspberriesin the ganacheof each éclair. Gently press éclair tops onto each éclair. Dust with.
EnjoyChocolate and Raspberry Eclairs immediately, with a glass of chilled Champagneor other sparkling wine, or chill until serving time. Happy Easter!
If you have éclairs or choux buns in the freezer, you can have these anytime you fancy!
Today,Jules and I are celebrating the National Holiday with a barbie and this Bleu Blanc Rouge Angel Food Cake, which is light as air (and useful when you have egg whites waiting in the fridge)! Joyeux Quatorze Juillet, Happy Bastille Day!
Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F. Buttera deep round cake pan. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift flourand caster sugar together. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, beat egg whites, gradually increasing speed to high until soft peaks form. Add saltandcream of Tartar, and continue beating, gradually adding sugar, until stiff peaks form. Gently fold inVanilla Extract with a rubber spatula. Then, gently fold in flour mixture, in three times, until completely blended.
Spoonbattercarefully into prepared cake pan. Level well with rubber spatula, to avoid air pockets.
Place in the warm oven, and bake at 190°C/375°F, 20 to 25 minutes, until just a light golden brown and spongesprings back when lightly touched. Let cool slightly, then turn over onto serving plate. Let cool completely.
Before serving, arrange bluberriesandraspberriesonto the cake, and dust lightly with Icing Sugar. Serve Bleu Blanc Rouge Angel Food CakewithRose Raspberry Coulis.
If, like me, you are a bit anxious about the (French) Election today, a little lightness might be in order. And there is nothing as delightfully light as this BleuBlancRouge Angel Food Cake we once had on Bastille Day! May it come with a side of steadfast democracy; bon Dimanche !
Pourdouble cream into a small saucepan. Add Vanilla Extract, and heat over medium-low heat.
Meanwhile, roughly chop dark chocolate and put in a medium bowl.
Once the cream is simmering, pour over the chocolate. Cover with a lid, and let sit, a couple of minutes. Then, stir energetically with a rubber spatula until you have a smooth and shiny ganache. Place in the refrigerator, to chill, at least a couple of hours.
Preheat oven to 210°C/410°F. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Combinewater,milkandbutterin a large saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat. Once mixture is slowly boiling and butter is melted, remove from the heat and add both flours all at once, stirring well with a wooden spoon until a soft ball form. Return over low heat and cook, about 2 minutes, until a slight film forms at the bottom of the saucepan, stirring often. Set aside and let cool slightly.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until you get a smooth, shiny, soft-peak paste.
Spoon choux pastry into a piping bag, fitted with a large (1-cm/0.4″) star nozzle and pipe choux pastry into 14-cm/5.5″ long éclairs onto one of the baking trays until you have ten. With the remaining choux pastry you could pipe more éclairsorchouxon the second baking tray. Place baking trays in the hot oven. Bake at 210°C/410°F, for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Using a skewer, carefully piercethree holes at the bottom of each éclair, to let the steam escape and put them back in the warm oven to dry out, 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
For this recipe, you will only need four éclairs. The others (and choux) will freeze well, stored in zip-lock bags and can be kept up to three months in the freezer. You will only need to thaw them before using in sweet or savoury recipes.
Once the chocolate ganache has chilled, beat with an hand mixer, gradually increasing speed to high, until ganache becomes fluffy and a paler shade of brown. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
With a serrated knife, gently cut the topsoff each éclair. Pipe whipped chocolate ganache generously on the bottom of each. Gently press raspberriesin the ganacheof each éclair. Gently press éclair tops onto each éclair. Dust with.
EnjoyChocolate and Raspberry Eclairs immediately, with a glass of chilled Champagneor other sparkling wine, or chill until serving time. Happy Easter!
