Vanilla filled Eclairs

As I start my final month studying at Le Cordon Bleu and London is going into another lockdown I thought it was the best timing to look back and reflect. And oh, how I've reflected. I took my very first step into the doors of Le Cordon Bleu in September 2019. And what a journey it has been since - life, knowledge, society - literally everything has changed since then. I've learnt so much since my first day at school and I have all the chefs to thank for that. Recipes I didn’t know existed, skills I didn’t know I could develop and an industry I've learnt so much more about.

With Covid-19 and England going in to Lockdown my studies where postponed from March to September and I got stuck in my little Swedish hometown. Needless to say it was an emotional spring but looking back it was also a lovely one. I got to work together with my family in my mothers bakery and practice all the skills I so recently learnt. And these eclairs where one of many Le Cordon Bleu remakes I did.

Eclairs where one of our first practicals at school and with my days at LCB ending - here we go Eclairs2.0. I made these ones in April so they’re a little spring themed - but apart from the strawberries which aren’t in season right now - they are the perfect snack on a cosy fall day. Replace the strawberries with blackberries, apples, pears or why not plums and you’re good to go.

Recipe:

100 g melted butter

125 ml water

125 ml milk

5 g sugar

2 gram salt

150 g flour

250 g eggs

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius

2. Grease a tray and place to the side

3. Melt the butter in a pan

4. Once melted pour the water and the milk in the pan and bring to a boil

5. Sieve the flour

6. Once the liquid is boiling take the pan off the stove and stir in the flour. Once combined take the pan back on the heat and keep stirring for a minute till the mixture forms a ball and doesn’t stick to the sides.

7. Place your flour and milk mixture in a separate bowl, either a freestanding mixer bowl or you can mix it by hand. Bring the dough to the sides of the bowl and let it cool down while cracking your eggs.

8. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk them together.

9. Add the eggs in portions to the dough and whisk in between. You want to achieve a V-shaped drop when you pick the dough up with your spatula. If the dough drops and it doesn’t form a "V" add more eggs.

10. Once the "V"-shape is achieved place your dough into a piping bag with a plain or eclair shaped nozzle.

11. Pipe your eclairs directly onto the greased tray - no baking paper is needed. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe (vanilla diplomat cream):

300 ml milk

90 g eggyolks

50 g sugar

20 g cornflour

20 flour

5 g vanilla bean paste

200 g whipping cream

How to (vanilla diplomat creme):

1. Heat up the milk in a pan and bring to a zimmer

2. Blanch the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl

3. Sieve the flour and corn flour and add to the blanched egg yolk-mixture together with the vanilla bean paste

4. Pour 1/3 of the warm milk over the mixture and stir well until its all combined

5. Pour the egg-mixture back in the pan and bring to a boil.

6. Pour the custard on a tray and cling film it, let it cool in room temperature.

7. Whip the cream to firm peak and fold it in together with the pastry cream.

8. Put the cream in a piping bag with a saint honoree nozzle and pipe on top of the eclairs.

9. Decorate with chopped fruit of your choice.

Enjoy!