Chocolate Eclairs

Hi Guys!!

Today I've decided to make some 'chocolate eclairs.

I'm not talking about the chewy caramel coated chocolate from cadbury (even though thats also quite nice) ....but no, I'm referring to an oblong pastry filled with cooled custard or cream, and topped with a drizzle of shiny melted chocolate. With the first bite, you get the crunchy pastry shell, and then you're hit by the creaminess and coolness of the cream, followed by the bitter sweet taste of the dark chocolate. 

This delightful dessert is just an explosion of flavour. You would certainly want to make this for that special some one. Its certainly a welcomed addition to any party, as a dessert on a romantic date #wink, or as an exciting way to get your kids into the kitchen.

I made these as a gift for a friends birthday party and it was gone in a flash...which pretty much demonstrates the name 'eclair' french for 'flash of lightning'.

It certainly requires a good number of ingredients, however, thats because I made my own custard from scratch. You can always decide to substitute with the ready made custard or instant custard, however, it has to be made thick and sweet and definitely not runny.

So here's how you make it:

Ingredients

For the choux pastry shells

• 100mls of milk + 100mls of water
• 5.5 tbsp of butter
• 1.5 cups of flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp of powdered sugar

For the custard

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1.5 cups of milk
• 1 tsp of butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate ganache

• 160grams of dark chocolate (at least 50% cocoa solids)
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 80mls of cream

Other materials required:

• 3 Pots
• 2 large bowls
• A baking tray
• A balloon whisk
• 2 Piping bags (1 large nozzle, 1 pin nozzle)
• A ladle
• Parchment paper
• A roll of cling film
• A tooth pick

Instructions

1. First we make the custard. Put the milk in a pot on low heat and bring to a simmer. In a bowl, add the yolks, corn flour, sugar  and vanilla extract together, and mix until it turns pale. 

   

   Corn starch added into the egg and sugar mixture

   
   

   

   Pale colour after incorporating the yolk, sugar, vanilla and corn starch

   

   Pot of milk brought to a simmer

2. Once the milk has come up to a boil, ladle a spoon of it into the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Then add the entire bowl of egg mixture into the pot of milk, and bring back onto the low heat, whisking continuously until it becomes thick. Add the butter and mix well. Transfer into a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate.
3. Now to make the choux pastry. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Add the milk, water, salt, sugar  and butter into the pot, and bring to a boil.

   

   Melted butter in the milk

4.  Once it begins to boil, and the butter has dissolved, remove from the heat, and add the flour. Mix very well, until a dough is formed.

   

   Flour incorporated into the boiling milk

   
   

   

   Cooked flour dough

5. Transfer into a plastic bowl, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. 
6. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each time. Then transfer into a piping bag with a large nozzle.

   

   Incorporating the eggs into the dough

   
   

   

   The dough put in a piping bag

7. Pipe the dough into oblong shapes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Then sprinkle the icing sugar over the dough shapes, and place in the oven. for about 20 mins or until its browned and puffy.

   

   Piping the choux pastry

   
   

   

   Piped choux pastry

8. Now to the chocolate ganache. Place the cream in a pot and bring to a simmer. 

   

   Simmering cream

9. Chop the chocolate into shreds and place in a bowl. Then add the sugar and butter. 

   

   A chocolate bar

   
   

   

   Chopped chocolate

   
   

   

   The chocolate and butter

10. Pour the cream over the chocolate and butter, and mix well, until its beautiful and shiny, then set aside.

    

    The chocolate ganache

11. Remove the pastry from the oven, and using a toothpick, poke a hole at the side to allow the steam out faster. Remove the custard from the fridge and transfer into a piping bag with the pin nozzle. 

    

    Pastry out of the oven, and custard in the piping bag

12. Use the toothpick and poke three holes along the base of the pastry, and put the custard into all three hole. Do this for all of them.

    

    Poking holes into the pastry for the nozzle to fit

    
    

    

    Piping the custard into the pastry shells

13. Now dunk the front end of the pastry into the chocolate ganache, and set aside.

    

    Dunking the custard filled eclair into the chocolate ganache

    
    

    

    A perfect eclair

14. Once you've done that for all the pastry's, allow to cool, and then Enjoy.
    
    
    
    
    

Tips

1. Ensure you continuously whisk the egg and milk mixture or else the eggs would scramble in the heat, and that would make for a lumpy custard.
2. When you add the eggs into the dough, it would split, but just continue to mix well, and it would become sticky again.
3. Alternatively, you can microwave the chocolate, butter and milk for about 20 seconds, or until they are melted. But do not allow the chocolate to burn.

Oyster Kilpatrick - Valentines day special

Hi Guys!!

Happy Valentines day!!

So its finally here. Love, romance, friendship, chocolates, teddies and all that good stuff. Guessing some of you don't really care much about that kinda thing huh? However, some others are really excited and looking forward to their presents. Well, which ever category you belong to, hope you enjoy the day. 

For this day, I certainly wanted to try something new, and kinda go out of my comfort zone a lil bit. I decided to try my hands on some 'oyster kilpatrick' (the irony of the name cracks me up). 

I actually haven't had oysters before, but I kinda have a fairly good idea on how to treat them, and their various accompaniments. Plus, I heard its a natural aphrodisiac, and in the spirit of Valentines day, I am certainly willing to give it a try (#wink). 

I wanted the oysters to be the star of the dish, plus I didn't want to over crowd the oyster shell, cos it would make it difficult to eat/ slurp. The bacon adds a nice chewy texture to the oyster, plus the saltiness is an added advantage.

So heres what I made.

Ingredients

• 3 strips of bacon (chopped)
• 2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 3 -4 drops of siracha (chilli sauce)
• 1 tbsp of ketchup
• 1 tbsp of salt (add to water)
• 1 tsp crushed black pepper
• 3 oysters
• Lemon wedges (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degree celsius, and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix the worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, siracha and ketchup and set aside.

   

   Sauce mixture

3. Wash the oyster under running water, and then place them in a pot of salted water.

   

   Three oysters

   

   The oyster in the pot of boiling water

4. Add the black pepper and allow the water to come to a boil.
5. Once the water starts to boil, remove the pot from the heat and pour away the water, then allow it to cool.

   

   Removed the water and allowing it to cool

6. Using a knife, pop open the oyster shell, and slide the knife across the sides of the shell to detach it properly. 

   

   Opening the oyster

   
   

   

   Success..its opened!!

7. Once the shell is opened, place the oysters on the baking tray.

   

   Opened oysters on baking tray

8. Add the worcestershire sauce mixture, and top with the bacon, then place this in the oven for 5-7 minutes.

   

   Bacon strips cut into cubes

   

   Sauce mixture added to the oysters

9. Remove them from the oven, when the bacon done. Place the oysters on some rock salt, to stabilise them, and Enjoy.
   

Tips

1. You can pre-cook the bacon ahead of time, and just place on the oysters.

Poached Pears (Valentines day special)

Hi Guys!!

So, tomorrow is Valentines day. Its certainly a day I really enjoy, if not for anything, just for the fact that at least one day in the year, people care about companionship. Of course every one has their own interpretation of the day, and what it means to them. So those of us that are 'bae-less' or 'boo-less' this year, we are definitely going to turn-up in our own way. 

Its quite interesting it falls on a sunday this year though. I certainly can't wait to see how it would be incorporated into the sermon. Yesterday, I saw a picture on instagram; and the guy was like...."I'm sorry valentines day is on a sunday baby, I'm staying back for first, second and third service, and after that, youth fellowship too". I just couldn't stop laughing. Anyhoo, I've put together my favourite valentines day recipes in a series of posts I call 'Valentines day specials', so check it out. 

The first recipe I thought about was this beautiful  poached pear in red wine glaze. Its so beautiful, succulent and sweet...its certainly a beautiful dessert to share with that special someone.

Its really easy and only requires a few ingredients. But like everything, presentation is key.

So heres how I made it

Ingredients

For the poaching liquid

• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• 3-4 star anise (optional)
• 1 tbsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2-3 cups red wine (the cheap stuff is fine)

Others

• 3 Pears

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients for the poaching liquid in a pot and place the pot on the heat source. Bring to a simmer.

   

   Lemon zest placed in a bowl

   
   

   

   Lemon juice

   
   

   

   Adding the sugar to the lemon zest and juice

   
   

   

   the lemon, star anise and sugar

   
   

   

   Adding the red wine to the pot

   
   

   

   Poaching liquid allowed to simmer

2. Peal the pears and core it from the bottom by removing some of the seeds. Cut a part of the bottom to allow it balance well on the surface.

   

   Pears

   
   

   

   Cored pears and bottom cut to flatten and stabilise it

3. Place the pears in the poaching liquid, and allow to boil for about 30 minutes.

   

   Pears in the poaching liquid

   
   
   
   
   

   

   The pears are poaching

   
   
4. Remove the pears and star anise from the pan and allow the poaching liquid to reduce into a sauce. It should coat the back of a spoon.

   

   Pears and star anise removed from the pot

5. Once the sauce has reduced, plate the pears. You can do this how ever you like.
6. I melted some chocolate and brushed it across the plate, then placed the whole pear in the middle and drizzled the glaze onto it. I cut the second pear in half and made thin slices with one half, then fanned it out. A scoop of ice-cream and some chocolate chips can be placed on the plate.