Bounty éclairs. A match made in heaven.

Today was choux day with an attempt to unify two of my favourite things: Bountys and éclairs.

Makes 20 large éclairs

Ingredients for choux paste

250 ml water

Pinch of salt

65 g unsalted butter

2 teaspoons caster sugar (not for savoury pastry)

125 g plain flour

4 eggs

For the filling and finish

Whipped cream

Desiccated coconut

Dark chocolate

Or

50 g plain flour

175 g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

15 g unsalted butter

4 eggs

500 ml coconut cream or milk

Dark chocolate

Desiccated coconut

Method – Choux Pastry

1. Heat oven to 220C

2. Measure the water, salt, butter and caster sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan and warm until the butter is melted, then bring to the boil.

3. Once boiling, remove the saucepan from the heat and quickly stir in the flour.

4. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook for approx 1 minute until the paste thickens, stirring all the time (mine was pretty thick as soon as I added the flour).  Don’t overcook the mixture or beat or else it will become it oily.

5. Remove from the heat and cool slightly, then beat in two eggs with a wooden spoon, before adding and beating in the other two, continue to beat until you have a glossy paste.  

6.  Put the cooled paste into a piping bag with a 1cm plain nozzle and pipe into éclair shapes on a lightly greased baking tray (leave space in between for rising).

Tip - uncooked choux paste freezes well, pack them into polythene bags when firm and cook from frozen for slightly longer than usual.

7. Bake in the oven at 220C for 10 minutes then lower the temperature to 180C and cook for 10 to 25 minutes depending on the size of your éclair.  They will be done when golden brown and crisp outside and hollow and moist inside.

8. Immediately on taking out of the oven split the éclairs in half to allow the steam to escape, or else they will go soggy.

Method – filling and finishing the éclairs

For coconut cream filling

Whip cream with some desiccated coconut, pipe into the split and cooled éclairs.  Top with melted dark chocolate and sprinkle more desiccated coconut on top.

For the coconut custard filling

1. In a thick-based saucepan place the flour, sugar, salt, butter (softened) and eggs and mix together with a whisk.

2. In a separate saucepan bring the coconut cream or milk to the boil.

3. Add the boiling milk to the flour mixture and stirring well heat and boil for a few minutes (my custard seemed to go a bit lumpy but this was later resolved).

4. Pour the custard into an earthenware dish and allow to cool stirring from time to time (I stirred with a wooden spoon quite vigorously and all the lumps disappeared).

5. Pipe the mixture into the cooled éclairs.

6. Melt the dark chocolate in a Pyrex bowl over some hot water ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the hot water and only stir once.

7. Using a teaspoon dribble some chocolate on top of the éclairs and top with some desiccated coconut.

Not nutty enough? If you try the custard and fancy a more coconutty flavour add some desiccated coconut to taste once it is cooled.