It's Monday again! Oh how time flies! I still want to enjoy some days off but I have to go back to reality :-D But it's okay, my reality always includes baking day, one thing which I love it so much. Being in the kitchen and smelling pleasant aroma coming out from my oven is just heavenly.

I'm so glad that the theme is chocolate because I always have chocolates in hand so I dont need to go to supermarket to buy some groceries. The weather in Brussels is very frustrating lately. It's raining and cold, make you want to stay home.

I've looked for some ideas for this week's theme but it was really hard to decide which one will I be making. Then when I opened my Instagram's account, I stumbled upon my favorite pastry chef's account and I saw his beautiful Chocolate Eclair. So I decided to make it. Why? Because first of all, I dont have to make a big batch, unlike a cake, a cake will be too much for us two. Second of all, my partner loves eclair very much. So he would be happy to have some eclair when he comes home after "school".

Chocolate Choux Pastry

Ingredients

• 125 gr water
• a pinch of salt
• 50 gr butter
• 70 gr all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp natural unsweetened cacao powder
• 2 large eggs

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix all purpose flour and cacao powder until well combined.

• In a saucepan​, boil water, butter and a pinch salt over a medium heat.

• Once the butter is melted and the mixture comes to the boil, take the saucepan off the heat. Add in all purpose flour and cacao powder mixture, mix well with a spatula and bring back to the heat, continue mixing for about one minute. The batter should be detached from the saucepan and looks dry. Leave it to cool for about 5 minutes.

• Add in one egg at a time, mix well until you reach good consistency. You may add the third egg if needed, but in my case, 2 large eggs are enough.

• Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe the batter into logs (I made some regular choux as well) onto silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Wet your finger and go back and smooth down the points on each choux pastry.

• Bake the puffs for 30 minutes (don’t open the oven during that time). Leave them in the oven with the door slightly open to prevent the choux pastry getting soggy as they cool down. Let your choux pastry finish cooling down on a baking rack.

• Once they’re completely cool, they’re ready to be filled.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 44 gr granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 320 ml full fat milk
• 127 gr dark chocolate (I used 54,5% cacao from Callebaut)

Directions

• Place the chocolate on a bowl, set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until combined. Add in corn starch, mix again.

• In a sauce pan, bring milk to boil. When it starts to bubbles, pour some milk into egg yolks mixture, mix them using whisk and pour it back to the sauce pan. Continue mixing until the mixture thickens.

• Once thickened, pour the mixture into a bowl with chocolate. Let it stand for 30 seconds, stir it well until well combined.

• Cover with plastic wrap with the plastic touching the mixture to prevent the skin to form. Leave it in the fridge for about 2 hours before using it.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Ingredients

• 85 gr chopped dark chocolate (I used 54,5% cocoa from Callebaut)
• 60 ml heavy cream
• 1 tbsp corn syrup or rice syrup

Directions

• Place the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl, set aside.
• Pour the heavy cream in saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. You can do it in a microwave as well. Once the cream comes to the boil, remove from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Let stand for 30 seconds then mix it well. Add in corn syrup, mix again.

• Let it cool, the consistency should be in a liquid state but not hot.

Assembling

• Transfer Chocolate Pastry Cream into a piping bag, fitted with a long thin piping tip.
• Use a knife to make a hole in one of the choux pastry's corner.
• Fill the choux puffs with Chocolate Pastry Cream.
• Dip the filled choux pastry into chocolate ganache to coat halfway up the sides.
• Sprinkle with raw cacao nibs.

What do you think about the eclair? I am satisfied with the result. I usually make regular choux pastry and this is my first time making eclair. The taste's just divine and very chocolaty :-D

If you like my post, please dont hesitate to upvote and resteem. Thank you for reading :-)

Cheers,

All content and photos are original and mine. Photos were taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000.