Louisiana Strawberry Eclairs

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
• •Pastry bag with large round tip and star tip
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Serrated knife
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Two rimmed baking sheets

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the strawberry puree

   Start with the filling base so it has time to chill. Combine two cups of hulled strawberries with half a cup of sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring and mashing the berries with a wooden spoon, until they break down completely and the mixture thickens slightly, about eight to ten minutes. The kitchen will smell like summer. Push the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds, pressing firmly to extract every bit of that ruby liquid. You should have about three-quarters cup of smooth puree. Refrigerate until completely cold, at least one hour.

   Louisiana strawberries from Ponchatoula are worth seeking out in spring. They're smaller and sweeter than California berries, with a perfume that fills the whole room.
2. 2

   Prepare your equipment

   Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip, about half an inch in diameter. If you do not own a pastry bag, a sturdy zip-lock bag with the corner cut off works fine. Good pastry comes from technique, not fancy equipment.

3. 3

   Cook the choux base

   Combine the water, butter pieces, one tablespoon sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until the butter melts completely, then bring to a rolling boil. The moment it boils, dump in all the sifted flour at once and immediately start stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir vigorously, constantly, keeping the dough moving. Within a minute, the mixture will pull away from the sides and form a smooth ball. You will see a thin film coating the bottom of the pan. That film tells you the excess moisture has cooked out. Transfer the dough to a stand mixer bowl.

   Have everything measured and ready before you start. Choux moves fast and waits for nobody.
4. 4

   Add the eggs

   Let the dough cool for two minutes, stirring occasionally to release steam. Using the paddle attachment on medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. The dough will look curdled and broken after each egg. Keep beating. It will come back together into a smooth, glossy paste. After all four eggs are incorporated, the dough should be thick enough to hold its shape but loose enough to pipe smoothly. When you lift the paddle, the dough should fall in a thick ribbon that slowly sinks back into itself.

   Room temperature eggs are essential. Cold eggs will seize the warm dough and create lumps that no amount of beating will fix.
5. 5

   Pipe the eclairs

   Transfer the warm dough to your prepared pastry bag. Pipe logs about four inches long and one inch wide onto the parchment, leaving two inches between each. Hold the bag at a forty-five degree angle and apply steady pressure, lifting slightly at the end to avoid a peak. Use a wet finger to smooth down any points or rough spots. Brush the tops gently with egg wash, being careful not to let it drip down the sides and glue the pastry to the parchment.

6. 6

   Bake until golden and hollow

   Bake at 425 degrees for fifteen minutes. The high heat creates steam inside the dough, puffing the eclairs dramatically. Without opening the oven door, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for another eighteen to twenty minutes until deeply golden brown and firm to the touch. The shells must be completely dry inside or they will collapse. Remove from oven and immediately poke a small hole in each end with a skewer to release steam. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

   Never open the oven door during the first twenty minutes. The rush of cool air will collapse your puffed shells instantly. I have seen grown cooks cry over this mistake.
7. 7

   Whip the strawberry cream

   Once your strawberry puree is cold, make the filling. Pour the very cold heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip on medium-high until soft peaks form, about two minutes. Add half a cup of the chilled strawberry puree (reserve the rest for the glaze) and continue whipping until the cream holds stiff peaks and turns a beautiful pale pink. Do not overwhip or you will make strawberry butter. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

   Chill your bowl and whisk in the freezer for ten minutes before whipping. Cold equipment makes faster, more stable whipped cream.
8. 8

   Make the strawberry glaze

   Puree one cup of fresh strawberries in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds. In a medium bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar, softened butter, salt, two tablespoons of the fresh strawberry puree, vanilla, and two tablespoons of cream. Whisk until completely smooth and glossy. The glaze should be thick but pourable. Add more cream by the teaspoon if needed, or more powdered sugar if too thin. The color should be a soft, romantic pink.

9. 9

   Fill the eclairs

   Cut each cooled eclair shell in half horizontally with a serrated knife, like opening a book. Transfer the strawberry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe generous swirls of cream onto the bottom half of each shell, using about three tablespoons per eclair. Do not be stingy. The filling is the heart of this pastry.

10. 10

    Glaze and garnish

    Dip the top half of each shell into the strawberry glaze, letting excess drip off for a few seconds. Place the glazed top onto the cream-filled bottom at a slight angle so the pink filling peeks through. Arrange a few thin strawberry slices on top of the glaze while still tacky. Repeat with remaining eclairs. Serve within four hours for the crispest shells, or refrigerate and accept slightly softer pastry.

Chef Tips

• •If Louisiana strawberries are unavailable, seek out locally grown berries from a farmers market. They will always have more flavor than the trucked-in specimens that travel cross-country in refrigerated trucks.
• •Unfilled choux shells can be baked ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one day, or frozen for up to a month. Crisp them in a 350 degree oven for five minutes before filling.
• •The strawberry cream filling is best made the same day. It holds in the refrigerator for a few hours but will weep liquid if left overnight.
• •For Mother's Day brunch, fill and glaze the eclairs no more than two hours before serving. Present them on your grandmother's serving platter if you have one.

Advance Preparation

• •Strawberry puree for the filling can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.
• •Choux shells can be baked one day ahead. Store uncovered at room temperature, then crisp in a 350 degree oven for five minutes before filling.
• •Assemble eclairs no more than four hours before serving for the best texture. The shells will soften in the refrigerator but remain delicious.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 140g)