PEAR OF CHOUX
Listening to a pastry superstar on the radio, rambling on about how food is like fashion, and that he sees himself as some kind of trendsetting Louis Vuitton fashionista, led to an overwhelming feeling of bewilderment, as though one of the brethren core had turned to the dark side. A flash of lightning, the heralding of trumpets, and we created our ‘pear of choux’ — the heathen second-cousin to the throne, defiant to the end.
MAKES 12
CRISPY SHORTBREAD SHELL
100 g (3½ oz) butter
100 g (3½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
25 g (1 oz) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
125 g (4½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
In a bowl, rub all the ingredients together to make a smooth paste.
Form into a brick about the width and length of the intended éclairs, so about 12 cm (4½ inches) wide and 3 cm (1¼ inches) high.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for several hours.
CHOUX PASTRY
100 ml (3½ fl oz) milk
80 g (2¾ oz) butter
10 g (¼ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
120 g (4¼ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
3 eggs
Put 100 ml (3½ fl oz) of water in a saucepan with the milk, butter, sugar and salt. Bring to the boil.
Add the flour all at once and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 3–4 minutes, until the bottom of the pan turns white and the mixture comes away from the side of the pan.
Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer, then mix on low speed until the steam stops rising. Slowly add the eggs, until incorporated.
Lightly grease a baking tray that will fit in your freezer. Dust lightly with flour.
Place the pastry in a piping (icing) bag fitted with a 12 mm (½ inch) nozzle. Pipe into 12 éclairs about 12 cm (4½ inches) long.
Now cut 12 thin slices of the shortbread pastry and place one on top of each éclair.
Freeze for several hours until frozen, or for up to 1 week.
PASSIONFRUIT CUBEB PEARS
5 williams pears
100 ml (3½ fl oz) passionfruit juice
50 g (1¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
2 teaspoons freshly ground cubeb pepper or black pepper
Peel the pears and remove the cores using an apple corer.
Put the remaining ingredients in a saucepan with 400 ml (14 fl oz) of water and bring to a simmer. Add the pears and cover with a round of baking paper. Return to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender.
Leave to cool in the poaching liquid. The pears can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
PAIN DE GÊNES (GENOA BREAD)
160 g (5½ oz) marzipan
3 eggs, lightly beaten
50 g (1¾ oz) butter, melted
30 g (1 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Preheat the oven to 170ºC (325ºF/Gas 3). Warm the marzipan in the microwave for 30 seconds, then place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment.
Mixing on low speed, slowly add the eggs until you get a smooth batter. Fold in the melted butter, then the flour and baking powder.
Spread the batter out onto a 24 cm (9½ inch) square baking tray lined with baking paper. (If you don’t have a baking tray this size, fold the baking paper on the tray to make a receptacle the right size.)
Slice the poached pears as thinly as possible, then arrange on top of the batter, making a pretty pattern if you wish.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cake is cooked when tested with a skewer.
Lightly whip the cream, then tint with the chocolate sauce or ganache. You probably won’t need to sweeten the mixture, but go with what you like.
TO ASSEMBLE
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas 4). Place the frozen éclairs on a greased and floured baking tray and bake from frozen for 25 minutes.
Switch the oven off, then place a wooden spoon in the oven door to hold it open a crack. Leave the éclairs to cool in the oven for 20 minutes or so.
Cut a hole in the bottom of the éclairs, then pipe the chocolate fool mixture into the éclairs.
Cut the pain de gênes into portions the same size as your finished éclairs. Use these as your base and sit the éclairs on top.
We like to decorate the éclairs with some little rectangles of milk chocolate.
These éclairs are best enjoyed the same day.