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Éclairs au Chocolat
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Interestingly enough, this was the first time I have ever
prepared
Chocolate Éclairs. It all seemed so much work, when the
better pastry
shops already produced a superior product. But did they really? I think
you will agree that by discovering some of the lost arts from over
100 years ago in culinary science.... you, too, can make
something that
will convince you that the time and effort you spend in
making this
superior product is well worth the effort... plus it is a
lot of fun!
Now let's Bake!
Roger Freberg
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STEP 1) Put into sauce pan over
heat
2 cups
water
2 cups
milk
½ lb.
butter
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STEP 2) Remove the saucepan
when it
begins to boil and mix in:
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4 – 4 ½
cups flour
Return
to heat mixing vigorously until it ‘detaches’ from pan then
set aside
(there's a lot going on here: chocolate is melting,
vanilla bean is soaking in the milk, eggs, flour, and
a large pan for the flour, butter and milk) |
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STEP 3) Incorporate 2 whole
eggs
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STEP 4) Add two more eggs …
until the
paste has fully absorbed
14 – 16 eggs total
(yep, here I am working into the batter 2
eggs at a time up to 16) |
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HINT: the batter must be
gooey but have substance...
you want it to stand up when you squeeze it out of a pastry
tube!
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STEP 5) FILL PASTRY TUBE (3/8
inch opening)
Prepare
rows of éclairs 3” long,
‘egg over’ and bake in ‘slow oven’
(350 degrees for 30
minutes or so) |
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STEP 6) When the éclairs are
cold,
split them through the sides
(aah... I think I need to test this one!) |
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STEP
7) Fill them with vanilla pastry cream.
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STEP 8) Immediately dip them
into
chocolate icing and lay them on
a wire rack to drain and dry
(Eclairs are 'dipped' 1/2 into a chocolate sauce
but NEVER iced) |
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STEP
9) Place them an instant at the
oven door to gloss
(messy but good!) |
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Pastry cream with vanilla
(Crème Patisserie a la Vanille)
1)
Combine 10 egg yolks and
2 cups granulated sugar and
1 oz. cornstarch or fecula
2) Mix
the ingredients together
and dilute with a quart of
boiling milk
(having infused 1 vanilla stick)
3) Stir
continually over the fire
until it thickens and is ready
to boil… then pour into a
vessel to use when needed.
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Cooked Chocolate Icing
Put
into a sugar pan (copper)
¼ lb of unsweetened chocolate
and let it soften by the oven and
dilute it with 1 cup of warm
syrup at 16 degrees or water…
then add to it some icing sugar
(confectioners) until the
proper consistency
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I think you will agree that this
wonderful recipe from 'the Epicurean' circa
1920
clearly demonstrates the wonderful legacy of the cuisine
from the late
1800's and early 1900's. This was a time when food was truly
enjoyed,
healthy, flavorful and wholesome diet... and it also was a
time when Americans
did not suffer from many of today's ailments...
Reawaken your senses! Discover for
yourself the goodness of butter,
a better way of preparing meals and improve the quality of
your life!
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