patrícia furtado

The night before this month’s challenge was posted, I dreamed it was going to be all about profiteroles. I was pleasantly surprised when I woke up the next morning and realised it was indeed a choux pastry recipe.

Although the original recipe, with chocolate glaze and chocolate pastry cream, seemed delicious, the crowd I was cooking them for isn’t too much into chocolate. And to be honest, I’m a bit tired of chocolate myself - not a true chocaholic, I know.

So I kept the chocolate frosting to a light drizzle, and used a simple cream and chocolate ganache instead of the apparently over complicated version from Pierre Hermé - which no doubt is worth all the trouble, but time wasn’t at all on my side this month.

In first batch, I used whipped cream and fresh fruit for the filling, and it was delicious. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it to the photoshoot.

For the second batch, I dreamed up an egg cream. I started with a traditional portuguese recipe of Ovos Moles to which I added a bit of cream to make it lighter and a bit of cornstarch for consistency. Here’s how it goes:

Egg cream

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 table spoon cornstarch
200ml single cream

Add the water and sugar to a small saucepan over in lowI heat until it dissolves.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and then slowly pour the sugar syrup, while you keep whisking.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and keep stirring with a wooden or silicone spoon until it’s think enough to coat the back of the spoon.

In a small bowl (you can reuse the egg one) dissolve the cornstarch in a bit of the cream. Stir the remaining cream into the egg mixture and let it come to a simmer. The add the cornstarch and whisk carefully until it thickens.

Remove from heat and let it cool down a bit before piping it in the éclairs.

As for the the éclair’s recipe, please check Meeta K’s Éclairs’ post.

Tony and Meeta, thanks for choosing something that I always wanted to learn how to make. Great challenge, although it’s not too hard at all.

Please, do visit the Daring Bakers blogroll, to check out all the beautiful pastry done by the other bakers.