Chinese Five-Spice Crusted Éclairs with Vanilla Pastry Cream & Seasonal Berries

Five Spice Crust

Ingredients:

• ¼ c unsalted butter
• ½ c brown sugar
• 1/3 pastry flour, sifted
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until dough forms.
2. Place in fridge until firm.
3. Roll to 2 mm thickness and cut into thumb sized rectangles.

Choux Pastry

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• ¼ cup + 3 tbsp water
• ¼ cup + 3 tbsp homogenized milk
• 1 cup pastry flour, measured, then sifted
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbs sugar
• 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Sift flour and set aside.
2. In a heavy saucepan on medium heat, stir together milk, water, butter, salt and sugar and bring to a rolling boil.
3. Just after the liquid comes to a boil add flour all at once, and mix thoroughly.
4. Cook over medium heat until bottom is slightly browned.
5. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix for 5 minutes to allow the batter to cool.
6. Add eggs in one by one, and continue to mix until combined.
7. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large pastry tip.
8. Pipe thumb-sized lengths of pastry on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
9. Put one piece of crust on each éclair.
10. Bake at 425F for 10 minutes until just set.
11. Reduce heat to 325F and bake until done all the way through, approximately 10 more minutes. Remove from oven.
12. Allow to cool, and cut each éclair in half lengthwise like a hotdog. Set aside.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 cup homogenized milk
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped

Directions:

1. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together 3/4 of the milk and the vanilla beans. Bring to a boil.
2. While milk is heating, in a separate bowl mix together sugar and egg yolk.
3. Add cornstarch and remaining milk to egg mixture and mix until combined.
4. Once milk has come to a boil, temper the yolk mix with half the milk. Stir to combine.
5. Place back into pot and mix with remaining milk.
6. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly.
7. Remove from heat and let cool.
8. Store with plastic wrap directly on custard to prevent skin from forming.

Chantilly Cream

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 tbs sugar
• ¼ vanilla bean, split and scraped

Directions:

1. Combine cream and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Scrape the vanilla bean into the cream mixture.
3. Mix with a whisk attachment on high until the mixture has doubled in volume.

Assembly

Ingredients:

• 10 fresh strawberries, cut into wedges
• 20 fresh raspberries, halved
• 40 fresh blueberries, halved

Directions:

1. Pipe pastry cream on bottom half of each éclair.
2. Top with berries.
3. Pipe Chantilly cream on top of the berries.
4. Place top half of each éclair on top of the Chantilly cream. 

Yields 36 pieces