Pumpkin Spice Eclairs With Chocolate Beer Pastry Cream And Ganache Food

HOMEMADE ECLAIRS RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine water, butter, and a pinch of salt in a small pot. Place over medium heat.
• When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir quickly to combine and form a dough.
• Return the pot to medium heat and continue stirring until a thin film develops on the bottom of the pot.
• Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Whisk eggs together in a small bowl. With the mixer running, add eggs a little at a time into the flour mixture. Wait until the egg is completely incorporated until adding the next amount.
• As you near the end of the eggs, check the consistency of the dough by lifting the paddle up from the choux pastry. The mixture should fall slowly and form a "V" shape. If it stays stuck to the paddle, add a little more egg and check again.
• Transfer the choux paste to a piping bag fitted with a French star tip. Pipe 3 inch eclairs onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 325°F (160°C) and bake for another 10-20 minutes or until they are golden brown and feel hollow on the inside.
• After removing the choux from the oven, poke two holes in the bottom of each eclair and return to the tray upside down to allow steam to escape.
• Split a vanilla bean in half leaving the very top intact. Scrape the beans from each half of the pod and place in a small pot along with the whole bean.
• To the pot, add milk, first amount of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Place over medium-low heat.
• While the milk is heating up, add egg yolks, cornstarch and sugar to a heat proof bowl. Whisk to combine.
• When the milk comes to a simmer, remove from the heat. While whisking continuously, add a tablespoon at a time to the yolk mixture. Continue adding the hot milk a tablespoon at a time until half of the milk is added in with the yolks. Then transfer the yolk mixture into the pot with the remaining milk.
• Remove the vanilla bean pod and return the pot to medium heat. Whisk continuously until the cream thickens. Once it starts to bubble, cook for two more minutes. Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve.
• Add softened butter and whisk to combine. Lastly, plastic wrap up against the surface of the cream and refrigerate until cool and ready to use.
• Before using, stir with a spatula to loosen the cream.
• Chop dark chocolate into small pieces and place in a heat proof bowl.
• Pour heavy cream and a pinch of salt into a small pot. Place over medium heat.
• When the cream comes to a simmer, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for two minutes undisturbed.
• After two minutes whisk to combine until the ganache is homogenous.
• Fit a piping bag with a round tip and fill with the pastry cream.
• Once the eclair shells are cooled, pipe the pastry cream into the two holes made to allow steam to escape.
• Dip the tops of the eclairs into the chocolate ganache, let the ganache drip off for a few seconds, and carefully place onto a baking tray lined with parchment or serving plate.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE PUMPKIN TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking cocoa, pie spice and salt. Stir in butter until crumbly. Press onto bottom and up sides of a 9-in. tart pan with removable bottom; place on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack., Meanwhile, in another large bowl, whisk pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, orange zest, pie spice and salt. Slowly whisk in cream. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Bake until filling is set, 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., For ganache, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 10 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Spread over tart; chill until set. If desired, garnish with crystallized ginger.

ECLAIR CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place a mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.
• Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the flour. Cook and stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Spread the dough evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.
• Bake the pastry in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. (The dough will rise and make a boat shape, but should drop as it cools.) Cool completely on wire rack.
• Remove the chilled mixing bowl from the freezer and pour in 2 cups of cold whipping cream. Whip until the cream thickens, about 1 minute; stir in the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla extract. Continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Refrigerate the whipped cream while you mix the pudding.
• Pour the pudding mixes and the milk into a mixing bowl and stir until creamy. Fold in the whipped cream. Spread the filling over the cooled crust and refrigerate.
• Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Bring 1 cup of cream almost to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to soften for 1 minute. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly to thicken, about 10 minutes. Pour the ganache over the cream filling, spreading to cover the entire surface. Return the pan to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.