These éclairs have a delicate Earl Grey crème pâtissière filling and are topped with a simple icing with a few lavender petals. They are best eaten on the same day but will keep for a day or two if you can’t eat them all in one sitting…
For the choux pastry
For my guide on how to make choux pastry, click here. The quantities on this choux pastry recipe should make about 12 éclairs. Make the éclairs, poke a hole in the base of each one and leave to cool whilst you make the pastry cream.
For the Early Grey crème pâtissière,
- 375ml whole milk
- 5 egg yolks
- 75g caster sugar
- 50g cornflour
- 3 Earl Grey tea bags
Gently heat the milk in a large saucepan with the teabags. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a separate bowl, then add the cornflour and whisk. When the milk is steaming hot, squeeze out the tea bags and discard. Pour a small amount of the milk into the egg mixture and whisk quickly. Then pour all the egg mixture back into the milk, turn the heat up high and whisk constantly over the heat. The mixture will start to thicken. Keep whisking until it is thick and glossy, then pour into a clean bowl. Cover with cling film (the cling film needs to be touching the surface of the crème pâtissière) and chill in the fridge.
Once cool, fill a piping bag with a small nozzle with the crème pâtissière. Use a skewer to create 2 more holes on the base of the éclairs. Gently squeeze the crème pâtissière into each of the 3 holes. You should be able to feel the éclairs become heavier and will swell a little. Fill all the éclairs.
For the glaze,
- 200g fondant icing sugar
- 2-3 tbsp water
- a handful of lavender petals
Whisk together the icing sugar and the water in a saucepan over a low heat until the mixture is smooth.
Pour into a wide bowl and leave to cool slightly. If you dip the éclairs when the glaze is too hot, it will run down the sides of the pastry. When the glaze has cooled down but is still runny, dip an éclair into the glaze holding the base carefully. Hold the éclair vertically as you lift it out. Use your finger to smooth the sides of the glaze, then place back on the wire rack. Scatter over a few lavender petals (not too many as the éclairs will taste soapy) and leave to set. Enjoy!
