Pecan Vanilla Eclair

Method

These autumnal éclairs pair light, crisp choux with a silky vanilla mousseline made with our 100% Roasted Pecan Paste. Dipped in a caramel-rich Callebaut Gold glaze and finished with chopped pecans, they deliver a toffee and toasted-nut crunch in every bite.

Ingredients

Creme patissiere 

500ml whole milk
2 Norohy Madagascan Vanilla Beans (SCF0500)
6 egg yolks
32g cornflour
125g golden caster sugar
30g unsalted butter
The source recipe writes the cornflour as 4 tablespoons; converted at 8g a level tablespoon of cornflour. The two vanilla beans replace its 2 tsp of vanilla bean paste.

Pecan praline

200g caster sugar
30g water
200g Keylink 100% Roasted Pecan Paste (SCM230)

Choux pastry

125g water
125g whole milk
4g caster sugar
4g fine sea salt
110g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
140g strong white bread flour
250g whole eggs, beaten
Cooking oil spray, to finish

Vanilla pecan mousseline

200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
400g cold creme patissiere
200g pecan praline

Gold glaze

200g Callebaut Gold Chocolate (SCC1607)
200ml KerryMaid Whipping Cream Alternative (SCM280)
30g icing sugar
1 Norohy Madagascan Vanilla Bean (SCF0500)

To finish

100g Pecan Nut Pieces (SCN256A)

Method

Creme patissiere

1. Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Split the vanilla beans lengthways, scrape the seeds into the milk and drop in the pods, then warm gently until barely simmering.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, cornflour, caster sugar and a tiny pinch of salt together in a large bowl. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly, until all the milk is in.
3. Lift out the pods, return the custard to the pan and bring to the boil, whisking constantly. It looks lumpy at first; keep whisking on the heat and it turns silky and smooth. Take it off the heat, pass through a sieve into a clean bowl and stir in the butter until melted.
4. Cover the surface with baking parchment to stop a skin forming, cool, then chill.

Pecan praline

1. Cook the sugar and water in a clean pan, without stirring, to an amber caramel. Pour onto a lined tray and leave to set hard.
2. Break the caramel into pieces and blitz with the pecan paste until you have a smooth praline.

Choux pastry

1. Put the water, milk, sugar, salt and butter into a medium saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has fully melted.
2. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, take the pan off the heat and sieve in the flour.
3. Whisk the mixture together into a dough, then return the pan to a low heat and stir continuously with a spatula for 2 minutes.
4. Move the dough into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and mix on low for about a minute, until it cools to 50-55°C.
5. With the mixer running, add the beaten eggs a little at a time, letting each addition fully combine before the next. Stop when the dough is glossy, smooth and falls off the paddle in a ribbon; depending on your flour you may not need all the egg.
6. Cover the surface of the dough with clingfilm and rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Heat the oven to 165°C without the fan.
7. Pipe lines of choux onto a perforated eclair mat using a large star nozzle, flicking the bag back at the end of each line. Spray lightly with oil.
8. Bake on the middle shelf for 40-45 minutes, until deep golden brown. Keep the oven door closed for the whole bake, then cool completely.

Vanilla pecan mousseline

Whisk the room-temperature butter until light and pale. Beat in 400g of the cold creme patissiere, then 200g of the praline, and chill for 3 hours.

Glaze and finish

1. Pierce three small holes in the base of each eclair and pipe the mousseline in from the bottom, until each one feels full and heavy.
2. Warm the KerryMaid with the icing sugar and the split, scraped vanilla bean. Take it off the heat, leave to infuse for 10 minutes, lift out the pod, then pour over the Gold chocolate and stir until you have a smooth, glossy glaze.
3. Dip the top of each filled eclair in the glaze, let the excess drip off, and scatter over the chopped pecans before the glaze sets. Store chilled and enjoy the same day, while the choux is at its crispest.