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Delicious white chocolate eclairs topped with crunchy caramelized almonds — So refined, elegant, and easy to make, these eclairs make for a cozy afternoon treat, especially perfect with a mug of hot coffee!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Ingredients list for the white chocolate & caramelized almond eclairs
Makes 8
The pâte à choux
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 1/2 cup (50g) all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons (90ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) milk
- 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- A pinch of salt
The caramelized almonds
- 3 1/2 oz (100g) whole almonds
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
The glaze
- 3 1/2 oz (100g) white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Directions
For the pâte à choux:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and prepare a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip. Beat the eggs and egg white together in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Combine water, butter, milk, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil in a small saucepan, over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the sifted flour, until fully incorporated. Put the saucepan back to low heat and cook, stirring constantly using a wooden spoon. This will help dry up the dough a little bit. After 2-3 minutes, the mixture should look smooth and shiny.
3. Immediately transfer the hot dough to a food processor (or a large bowl if you do it by hand). Slowly add the beaten eggs while beating on low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape he sides of the bowl and continue to mix until you get a smooth, thick, sticky paste.
4. Fill your pastry bag with the warm dough and pipe into eight logs (5 by 1-inch, 13 by 2,5 cm), spaced about 1 inch apart minimum. Smooth the surface of the logs and level the peaked tops with a wet finger if you need.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue to bake until the choux pastries are fairly firm and golden brown. Count 8 to 10 minutes more. Make sure to NOT open the door of the oven while baking, otherwise the pastries will deflate quickly, ruining the recipe.
6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cut a small slit into the side of each pastry with a small knife to release the steam. Return the pastries to the oven turned off. Let the eclair shells dry in the oven with the door opened. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the caramelized almonds:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 360°F(180°C), arrange whole almonds on a baking sheet and dry roast until fragrant and slightly browned, approx. 3-4 minutes. Rub between your palms to peel off the excess of skin that doesn’t stick.
2. Heat the sugar in a small saucepan, with one tablespoon water. Once bubbly, add the almonds and cook without stirring.
3. When your get a nice amber color, pour the caramelized almonds over a surface lined with parchment paper and let the caramel set. Once completely cooled, chop coarsely with a knife and set aside in a plate.
For the white chocolate glaze and final assemblage:
1. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler. Add heavy cream and stir well. Once combine, remove from heat and allow to cool dow a bit before pouring into a plate.
2. Dip an eclair shell into white chocolate, then coat with a layer of caramelized almonds. Put aside and repeat the same process with the remaining eclairs. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee!
Notes: You can keep the pastry shells in a zipper-lock bag at room temperature for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 1 month, perfect if you plan to make them ahead.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
