Lemon Berry Eclairs

Every time hubby comes home from a Germany trip he always tells me how amazing the berries are over there. But hey, they’re not so bad over here, and these days they’re pretty cheap so I’m taking full advantage of that:

My Rating: 10/10
Why: Cuz they’re dang good.

Lemon Berry Eclairs
Makes about 2 dozen mini eclairs

Eclairs:

•   ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, beaten

Lemon Cream:

• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¾ cup sugar
• Pinch salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Lemon Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for garnish
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1½ Tbsp lemon juice
• raspberries/blueberries for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Line 2 large pans with silpats or parchment paper.

Place butter, water. salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Let the butter melt and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat and add the flour all at once. Stir until just combined and put back over medium heat. Continue stirring until the batter pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball (only takes a few minutes). Immediately remove the batter to a clean bowl. Let it cool until lukewarm (about 5 minutes), stirring time to time to help it release heat. Once cooled, add your beaten eggs in 4 additions, stirring until completely combined each time.

Use a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip to pipe your eclairs on the pan. Make them about 3 inches long, 1 inch wide. Bake for 20 minutes until the eclairs are puffed up and a fairly even golden brown. Let cool completely.

For the cream:

Fill a small pot or medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer on your stovetop.
In a heat-proof bowl, combine the lemon juice, whole eggs, egg yolk, sugar and salt. Place over the simmering water (water should not touch the bowl), whisking continuously. Whisk for about 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and your whisk leaves a trail. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. If you have a candy thermometer, the mixture should be at least 140F before moving on to the next step.
Pour the lemon cream into a blender and turn your blender on. While it is running, add your butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing each to completely combine before adding the next. When that is done, scoop the cream back into your bowl and place in the refrigerator until cool.

For the glaze, mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Assembly:

Use a small knife to cut openings in your eclairs, leaving a hinge on one side.
Pipe the cream into each eclair. Spread a thin layer of glaze on top of each, then stick berries on top of that. Use a sifter to dust powder over the top of the eclairs and serve.

Eclair recipe adapted from Eugenie’s cream puffs, Lemon cream from Tartine recipe.

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