Lavender & Pistachio Éclairs from Steven Bennett, Chef Patron at The Pig & Whistle

Serves

Makes 14 éclairs

Prep Time

30 mins

Cooking Time

30 mins

Ingredients

For the éclairs

• 120ml milk
• 120g unsalted butter
• half tsp salt
• 240g plain flour
• 4 eggs

For the creme patisserie

• 125g sugar
• 9 egg yolks
• 6 tbsp cornflour
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 700ml milk

Suggested flavouring, decoration and finish

• Lavender essence or crushed dried lavender kernels
• chopped pistachios
• edible gold
• icing (colours of choice)

Method

To make the choux pastry

• Preheat oven to 220°c.
• Bring milk, butter, salt and 120ml water to the boil in a heavy based saucepan.
• Add flour and stir until a dough forms.
• Reduce the heat and continuously stir for 2 minutes with a wooden spoon until the mixture has slightly dried.
• Place the dough into a large bowl and whisk in one egg at a time until smooth.
• Using a piping bag and large ridged nozzle, pipe 4 inch lines of dough onto a lined backing sheet.
• Turn down the oven to 150°c and place in the éclairs to cook for around 30 minutes, until golden brown. 
• Leave to cool and crisp on a wire rack.

To make the crème patisserie

• Whisk the sugar, yolks and cornflour in a medium saucepan until smooth.
• Add the butter, vanilla and milk; bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring until custard is thick, for about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour through a mesh strainer into a bowl; cover the surface with plastic wrap.
• Chill completely.

To decorate and fill

• Divide the crème patisserie in two, and flavour one half with lavender essence or crushed dried lavender kernels, and the other half with finely chopped pistachios.
• Place the flavoured crème patisserie into a piping bag and fill each of the eclairs, using the nozzle to make a hole in the pastry.
• Spread icing over each éclair and decorate with lavender, pistachio and edible gold leaf.
• Let the icing set before serving.