Description
Delicate French raspberry and cream éclairs elevate pastry perfection with elegant choux pastry shells filled with luscious raspberry cream. Crisp pastry and silky cream create a harmonious dessert experience that will delight your palate with classic French sophistication.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
Fresh Raspberries:
- 1½ cups (180 grams) fresh raspberries
- 1 cup (120 grams) fresh raspberries
Cream Cheese and Dairy:
- 8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (175 milliliters) heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons honey
Flour and Butter:
- ¾ cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
Eggs:
- 3 large eggs
Thickening and Stabilizing Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon gelatin
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Sweeteners and Flavoring:
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dried Ingredients:
- ½ cup (10 grams) freeze-dried raspberries, ground to a fine powder
Seasoning:
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of kosher salt
Glaze Ingredients:
- 2 cups (245 grams) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Activate the gelatin by sprinkling it over cold water and allow it to bloom for several minutes, creating a soft, gel-like consistency.
- Crush fresh raspberries in a spacious mixing bowl, then incorporate cream cheese, honey, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and half the freeze-dried raspberry powder. Blend thoroughly until the mixture achieves a silky, uniform texture.
- Gently warm heavy cream in a saucepan, integrating the dissolved gelatin and cooking briefly until completely merged. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before folding into the cream cheese base.
- Chill the raspberry cream mixture in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes to solidify and enhance flavors.
- Create the choux pastry by combining butter, granulated sugar, salt, and water in a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, ensuring complete butter dissolution.
- Once boiling, rapidly introduce flour and stir continuously until the dough forms a cohesive ball that cleanly separates from the pan’s sides.
- Remove from heat and allow the dough to cool briefly, stirring intermittently to prevent scorching.
- Preheat the oven to a high temperature of 450°F (230°C).
- Incorporate eggs into the dough one at a time, vigorously mixing after each addition to maintain a smooth, elastic consistency.
- Transfer the prepared dough to a piping bag equipped with a large decorative tip.
- Arrange parchment-lined baking sheets and pipe elongated éclair shapes, maintaining adequate spacing between each pastry.
- Gently flatten any protruding dough peaks using a moistened fingertip for uniform appearance.
- Bake the éclairs until they develop a rich, golden-brown exterior, rotating the baking sheets midway through cooking.
- After baking, puncture each éclair with a toothpick and return to the oven with the door slightly ajar, allowing residual heat to dry the pastries.
- Extract the cooled éclairs and transfer to a wire rack.
- Prepare the raspberry glaze by extracting juice from fresh raspberries through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the seeds.
- Whisk the raspberry juice with confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and a subtle salt pinch until achieving a smooth, glossy consistency.
- Finely chop additional fresh raspberries for textural enhancement.
- Whip the remaining heavy cream to soft, pillowy peaks.
- Gently fold the whipped cream and chopped raspberries into the chilled raspberry cream.
- Slice each éclair horizontally, creating a top and bottom section.
- Fill the bottom halves generously with the raspberry cream mixture using a fluted pastry tip.
- Dip the éclair lids into the prepared raspberry glaze and carefully replace them atop the filled pastries.
- Garnish with the remaining freeze-dried raspberry powder and serve immediately to preserve optimal texture and flavor.
Notes
- Gelatin is a crucial stabilizer that helps the raspberry cream maintain its smooth, creamy texture without becoming runny.
- Precise temperature control is key when making choux pastry, ensuring the puffs rise beautifully and become golden and crisp.
- Cooling the puffs with the oven door slightly open prevents them from collapsing and helps maintain their delicate structure.
- Straining raspberry juice creates a smooth, seed-free glaze that adds vibrant color and intense fruit flavor.
- Fresh raspberries and freeze-dried raspberry powder provide layers of intense raspberry taste and visual appeal.
- Whipping cream to soft peaks adds lightness and creates a delicate, airy texture in the filling.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg