Sweet Corn, White Chocolate, Strawberry and Pickled Jalapeño Eclairs
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 eclairs
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 30 servings
- Calories
- 321
- Total Fat
- 22
- Saturated Fat
- 14
- Carbohydrates
- 27
- Dietary Fiber
- 0
- Sugar
- 22
- Protein
- 4
- Cholesterol
- 114
- Sodium
- 239
- Total: 1 hr 30 min
- Active: 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
Pickled Jalapeños:
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced into rounds
Pâte à Choux:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 to 3 large eggs
Sweet Corn Pastry Cream:
4 1/2 cups plus 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 large eggs
2 ears corn, kernels removed
Glaze:
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut oil
Serving:
3 fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberries
Directions
Special equipment:
2 pastry bags, large round pastry tip such as Ateco 808, small round pastry tip- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- For the pickled jalapeños: Place the sugar, vinegar, salt and 1/2 cup water in a container. Shake to combine, then add the jalapeños and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
- For the pâte à choux: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water with the butter, cinnamon and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has formed a ball, has a slightly sweaty sheen to it and has pulled away from the pan.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until it cools down, 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture does not have to be cold, just cool enough not to cook the eggs when added in the next step.
- Beat in 2 eggs, 1 at a time. Do not add the second egg until the first is fully incorporated. Check the consistency of the batter; it should fall off the spoon in a smooth, elastic stream. If it does not, whisk the third egg in a separate bowl, add half to the batter and beat until smooth. Check the consistency again and add the other half, if needed.
- Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe six 4-inch-long eclairs onto the prepared sheet pan, making sure to leave at least 1 inch between each eclair. They grow! Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- For the sweet corn pastry cream: Meanwhile, whisk 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and the cornstarch in a small bowl until there are no lumps. Set the slurry aside.
- Place 4 cups of the heavy cream, 1 cup of the sugar and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to low and allow it to come to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, place the eggs and remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl and beat aggressively with a whisk until the mixture thickens and turns pale yellow. When the cream comes to a boil, remove from the heat. Whisk half of it into the egg-sugar mixture, then immediately whisk the cream-egg-sugar mixture back into the saucepan of hot cream. Turn the heat to medium and whisk for 2 to 3 minutes, then gradually whisk in the reserved slurry.
- Cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a pudding. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Place the bowl in an ice bath until the pastry cream is completely cool, at least 10 minutes.
- Place the corn kernels, remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender, add half the pastry cream and blend until smooth. Fold the mixture into the remaining pastry cream, then transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Set the bag with the sweet corn pastry cream aside.
- For the glaze: Set up a double boiler over medium heat. Place the white chocolate chips and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over the boiling water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate has melted.
- For serving: Cut a small hole in the end of each eclair using a paring knife, then fill the eclairs with the sweet corn pastry cream. Pour the melted white chocolate over the eclairs, then arrange the fresh strawberries, freeze-dried strawberries and pickled jalapeños on top.