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Violet and lemon éclairs
Makes 12 Cakes, Bread and Pastries
Ingredients
- 185g plain flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 125g butter
- 250ml water
- 4 eggs
- small paintbrush
- 2 piping bags
- baking tray or éclair tin
For the pastry cream
- 250ml double cream
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 1/4 tbsp icing sugar
For the icing
- 125g icing sugar
- purple food colouring
For the candied violets
- 24 violets
- 55g caster sugar
- 1 egg whites
Method
To make the candied violets, wash the flowers and dry them gently. Place the caster sugar in a small dish. Using a small paintbrush, paint some egg white onto each flower and then dip the flower into the caster sugar. Place on a wire cooling rack and leave overnight to harden.
To make the choux pastry éclairs, preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and line two baking trays with baking paper. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Heat the butter and water in a saucepan, stirring until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and quickly add the dry ingredients, stirring constantly. Using a wooden spoon, beat the mixture until it forms a ball of paste that pulls away from the sides of the pan, then return pan to the heat and stir for another minute or two.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Beat the eggs in another bowl. Turn on the mixer and slowly add the eggs. At first, it will look like the eggs will not mix in, but stick with it until you achieve a smooth, glossy paste. Spoon the paste into a piping bag with a plain nozzle and pipe a 13cm line of the mixture for each éclair either in an éclair tin or on
a greased baking tray. Smooth down the top of each with a finger dipped in water.
Turn the oven down to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and bake for 25-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and use a knife or skewer to prick a hole in each choux bun. Lower the temperature to 160/325F/Gas 3 and return the buns to the oven for another 5-10 minutes to dry out.
To make the cream filling, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the lemon zest, juice and icing sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Pipe the cream into the éclairs.
To decorate the éclairs, mix the icing sugar with 3-4tsp of water. Stir in some food colouring, adding a small amount at a time until you achieve a colour you like. Spread icing along the top of each éclair or dip them into the icing. Place two candied violets onto the icing at one end of each éclair.
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