Pistachio & Raspberry Eclairs

Delicious Choux pastry with a decadent NUT FREE Pistachio pastry cream filling, topped with a scrumptious Raspberry and white chocolate ganache. This Pistachio & Raspberry Eclairs recipe can be made NUT FREE but still have that delicious pistachio flavour by using our allergen free, plant based flavour range ‘Just Flavour’.

By using Just Flavour Pistachio for our creme patisserie filling, we also cut down the ingredients cost substantially, without losing any of the flavour or decadence! I have also used Just Flavour Raspberry for my ganache which makes a delightful pairing with the pistachio. I have also decorated my choux with freeze-dried raspberries and crushed pistachios, but by omitting the crushed pistachios you can make this recipe completely nut free.

Take a look at the full range of Just Flavour here!

Ingredients

Creme Patisserie:

• 300ml whole milk
• 150ml double cream
• 4 drops green colouring (optional)
• 3 egg yolks
• 70g caster sugar
• 1tsp Just Flavour Pistachio
• 3tbsp cornflour

Choux:

• 100ml water
• 100ml whole milk
• tbsp caster sugar
• 105g butter
• 105g plain flour
• 4 medium eggs
• 1/2 tsp Just Flavour Raspberry

Ganache:

• 200g white chocolate
• 100ml double cream
• 1/2tsp Just Flavour Raspberry
• Pink colouring (optional)

Creme Patisserie Method

1. Place the milk, cream and colouring to a saucepan and heat on medium high.
2. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Once boiled reduce the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
4. In a heat proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, Just Flavour and Cornflour.
5. Carefully pour a little of the hot liquid into the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
6. Add more of the hot liquid to the egg mixture, whisking continuously until combined.
7. Once all of the hot liquid had been added and combined with the eggs, pour it all back into the pan and continue to whisk intermittently over a medium low heat.
8. Continue cooking the mixture while whisking until the desired thickness is obtained. I like to cook mine until I can see the bottom of the pan when I take a spatula through it.
9. Sieve the creme patisserie into a class bowl or jug and apply clingfilm to the surface to avoid a skin from developing.
10. Refrigerate for a minimum of three hours before use.

Choux Method

Preheat the oven to 175c fan.

1. Place the water, milk, sugar and butter into a pan and heat on medium until the butter is completely melted.
2. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add all of the flour. Beat with a wooden spoon until it has formed a thick paste.
4. Return the pan to the heat (turn the heat right down), and continue stirring to cook out the flour for a further 5 minutes.
5. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and allow to cool.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the Just flavour.
7. With the paddle attachment fitted, turn the mixer on medium. Add the egg a little at a time, waiting until each increment is fully combined before adding the next. Once the mixture is smooth and glossy and is a pipe-able consistency, it is ready to use. You may not need all of the egg.
8. Scrape the choux dough into a piping bag with a JEM 3ES nozzle (or similar. the 3ES is an open serrated nozzle) fitted and pipe onto a lined baking sheet. Pipe slowly and steadily to a length of roughly 10cm. Taking your time with this will help you achieve better shaped eclairs.
9. Bake one tray at a time for 15 minutes, then open the oven door to allow steam to escape. close the oven door carefully to prevent your eclairs from sinking.
10. Turn the oven down to 160f and bake for another 15 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and create a small hole in each end of the eclair, to allow moisture to escape, before returning to the oven for another 5 minutes.
12. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Ganache Method

1. Add the cream and chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave in 30 second increments until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir between each increment.
2. Now add the Just Flavour (and colour if desired) and mix until combined.
3. Allow to cool slightly.

Assembly

1. Use a skewer to poke three small evenly spaced holes into the bottom of each eclair.
2. Fill a piping bag with the Pistachio creme patisserie, cut a small hole in the tip of the bag, and pipe into each hole on the bottom of the eclairs to ensure even filling.
3. Dip each eclair in the ganache to neatly coat to top of each. Decorate with freeze-dried raspberries and crushed pistachios if desired.

Eclairs are best eaten the same day, but are still nice the following day. Keep refrigerated.