Raspberry White Chocolate Eclairs
Sweet, light and dangerously tasty, Raspberry White Chocolate Eclairs with fresh raspberries, pastry cream and white chocolate are the perfect bake for a romantic date or afternoon tea.
I was at the market today, and despite the fact that they are wildly out of season, I saw a huge punnet of raspberries for only a couple of euros. Do you think I could resist an opportunity like that? No, of course not!
And ‘cause I’m in a baking kinda mood, these little beauties found their way directly into a big batch of Raspberry and White Chocolate Eclairs.
Choux pastry is easy!
I love making pastry, and choux pastry, the base for profiteroles and eclairs, is no exception.
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there regarding choux pastry, but once you get the hang of making it, it is really very simple. It’s also quite a frugal pastry as you likely already have the ingredients at home, and a little goes a long way.
Double Raspberry Flavour
While classic eclairs are perfect filled just with pastry cream and topped with shiny chocolate icing. However, when you fill them with raspberry pastry cream and top them with melted white chocolate, pistachios and fresh raspberries they are next-level.
Take your time
There are a few different parts to this recipe, so it’s something to make when you have a couple of hours free on the weekend, rather than a weeknight when you’re in a hurry.
No pastry cream, no problem!
I’ve included a recipe here for classic pastry cream, but if that seems like too much trouble, these eclairs are delicious filled with simple whipped cream and fresh raspberries too. Use the base recipe for the pastry and take it whichever direction you like. I think experimentation is part of the fun.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I make Raspberry White Chocolate Eclairs in advance?
You can make choux pastry up to two days in advance and keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge. You can also freeze the unbaked or baked pastry. The unbaked pastry can be baked directly from frozen (you’ll need to add a little time), and frozen baked eclairs can be reheated in a hot oven.
Can I make different flavours of eclairs?
Of course! The sky is the limit. I love coffee eclairs with coffee icing and Bailey’s cream on the inside.
How long do the filled eclairs keep?
Eclairs are best eaten on the day that they are made, though they are still nice for another day or two, they just won’t be crisp any more.
Raspberry and White Chocolate Eclairs Recipe
Raspberry White Chocolate Eclairs
Sweet, light and dangerously tasty, Raspberry White Chocolate Eclairs with fresh raspberries, pastry cream and white chocolate are the perfect bake for a romantic date or afternoon tea.
Ingredients
for the choux pastry:
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 75 g plain or all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 2 medium eggs, beaten
for the raspberry pastry cream:
- 300 ml whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 egg yolks
- 50 g white sugar
- 25 g cornstarch / cornflour
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 50 g raspberries, crushed
for the topping:
- 100 g white chocolate, chopped
- 2 Tbsp chopped pistachios
- 50 g fresh raspberries
Instructions
- COOK PASTRY: Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas 6 and line an oven tray with baking paper. Place the butter in a medium saucepan with 150ml of water and bring to the boil. When the butter has melted and the water is at a rolling boil, remove from the heat, add the flour and salt all in one go, then beat with a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth and comes away from the sides of the pan.
- ADD EGGS: Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition. It may look like the dough is lumpy and nothing is coming together, but if you persevere the pastry will end up smooth and glossy.
- PIPE PASTRY: Transfer the pastry dough to a piping bag fitted with a wide 1.5cm star or round tip (see notes) and pipe ten lines of pastry 10-12cm long on the prepared tray, leaving space for the pastry to expand as it cooks. Use a damp finger to press down any peaks of pastry.
- BAKE PASTRY: Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the piped eclairs are golden brown, crisp and well risen. Turn off the oven, remove the tray and use a sharp knife to cut a small slit in the side of each eclair. This allows any steam trapped inside to escape. Return to the oven for 5 minutes to dry out, then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- MAKE PASTRY CREAM: While the eclairs are in the oven, make the raspberry pastry cream. Heat the milk and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan until small bubbles are forming around the edge of the pan and the milk is steaming. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch/cornflour in a small heatproof bowl. Splash a little of the hot milk onto the egg mixture and whisk well, then beat in the remaining milk.
- CHILL PASTRY CREAM: Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter, then scrape the mixture into a bowl. Cover with clingfilm, pressing the cling film directly onto the surface and chill in the refrigerator.
- FILL AND GLAZE ECLAIRS: When the pastry cream is completely cool, stir through the crushed raspberries, then fill into a piping bag. Use a serrated knife to cut the eclairs in half and pipe the pastry cream onto the bottom half. For the white chocolate topping, melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Carefully dip the top of the eclairs into the white chocolate, shake off any excess, then place on top of the eclair base.
- DECORATE ECLAIRS: Decorate with pistachios and raspberries, then transfer to the fridge for 1 hour to set. Eclairs are best eaten on the day they are made but do keep for a day or two.
Notes
For piping the eclairs, if you don’t have a large open star tip or large round tip (at least 1.5cm diameter) use a piping bag without attachment fitted. or a freezer bag with the corner cut off.
In all baking recipes, but especially pastry making, I use and recommend a digital kitchen scale like the one below.
Recommended Equipment
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Nutrition
Serving: 1eclair | Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 377IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Please leave a review or a star rating and let me know how it was! Use the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations.
