These oblong desserts are filled with a decadent Rose Pastry Cream and topped with a thin, fruity Strawberry Glaze, making them perfect for a spring or summertime French-inspired affair. Pictured with our Pistachio Financières and Lemon Macarons.
Strawberry-Rose Éclairs
Serves: 18
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and softened
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- Rose Pastry Cream (recipe follows)
- Strawberry Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine ¾ cup water, butter, sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat until butter melts. Add flour, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Cook and stir until dough pulls away from sides of pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand for 2 minutes, stirring a few times to cool dough. With a mixer at medium-high speed, add eggs, one at a time, beating until dough is smooth and shiny.
- Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a very large round tip (Wilton #1A). Pipe 18 (3-inch) portions of dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. (Pat dough with damp finger if it needs additional shaping.)
- Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Bake until puffs are very golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. (Insides will be dry.) Let cool completely.
- Using a serrated bread knife, cut éclair shells in half lengthwise. Place Rose Pastry Cream in a piping bag with the tip cut off. Pipe Rose Pastry Cream onto bottom half of shells. Cover with top half of shells. Spread Strawberry Glaze onto tops of éclairs. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tip: Éclair shells can be made in advance and frozen (unfilled) in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Let thaw completely before filling. Pastry cream can be made a day in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Rose Pastry Cream
Serves: 1¾ cup
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons rose water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.
- In a medium saucepan, heat milk until very hot but not boiling. Gradually add hot milk to egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add cornstarch and salt, whisking until incorporated. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into saucepan. Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat. Whisk in butter, rose water, and vanilla extract. Pour custard into a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until very cold, 4 hours to overnight.
Strawberry Glaze
Serves: ¾ cup
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon strawberry extract
- Pink paste food coloring
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, cream, and strawberry extract until smooth. (Add additional cream, a few drops at a time, to achieve desired consistency, or add additional sugar if glaze is too runny.) Add food coloring to achieve desired color. Use immediately.
