Éclairs with Pastry Cream and Chocolate Topping

Prep time: ±40 min
Bake time: ±25 min
Makes: 10–12 éclairs

Ingredients:
100 ml (plant-based) milk
100 ml water
100 g butter or margarine
100 g flour
A pinch of salt
3–4 eggs

Pastry cream:
400 ml (plant-based) milk
2 egg yolks
60 g sugar
45 g cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract

½ jar La Vida Vegan Duo chocolate spread

Pastry cream preparation:

  1. Heat the milk in a saucepan until it almost boils.
  2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour until smooth.
  3. Add a small amount of warm milk to the egg mixture and stir well.
  4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
  5. Heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the cream thickens.
  6. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract and let it cool. Cover directly with cling film to prevent a skin from forming.

Éclairs preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Add the milk, water, butter and a pinch of salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  3. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
  4. Let the dough cool for 2–3 minutes.
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until you have a smooth, glossy batter.
  6. Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe strips of about 10 cm onto the baking tray.
  7. Bake the éclairs for about 25 minutes until golden brown and airy. Do not open the oven during baking.
  8. Let the éclairs cool completely on a wire rack.

Finishing:

  1. Slice the éclairs lengthwise.
  2. Fill the bottom half generously with the pastry cream.
  3. Spread the top generously with La Vida Vegan Duo chocolate spread.
  4. Place the top back on and serve immediately.

Tip: For an extra luxurious touch, finish the éclairs with chopped hazelnuts, chocolate shavings or a hint of edible gold decoration.