May Weekend Shenanigans

After two back-to-back weekends of travelling I was so excited to stay in my Kirkwall and chill. So I invited some of the girls over for high tea and a catch-up.

This was a nice way to spend my Saturday, I may post a recipe for the vol-au-vents

in the future but I have plans to make them even tastier

I started my plan with vol-au-vents and mini eclairs but the more I thought about the eclairs the more I wanted to put my own spin on them. I love peanut butter and had a very tasty peanut butter moose at the Kirkwall Hotel the other week and I thought maybe I could use that idea but lighten it up with some fruit, well then I happened to catch the end of a Hairy Bikers programme where they made creme patisserie so I thought that would be the base to add my peanut butter to. Then when I was buying my ingredients I noticed some very nice strawberries and voila...

Peanut-Butter & Jelly Eclairs

Ingredients

Choux Pastry:
60g butter
130ml water
80g plain flour
3 large eggs

Creme Patisserie:
180 ml whole milk
35 g granulated sugar
35 g self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 large egg yolks
2.5 tbsp peanut butter
40 ml double cream

Chocolate Topping:
80 g milk chocolate
80 g dark chocolate (70%)

Method

 

For the pastry melt the butter in the water until all of the butter has melted and the water is simmering. Add the flour to the wet mix and stir over the heat for approximately 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs one at a time, this will go a little runny at first but keep stirring, it will come together.

Pipe onto a non-stick tray and place in the oven, turning it down to 195 degrees celsius for 25 minutes. Place on a cooling rack.

To make the creme patisserie mix the flour, sugar and salt then add the egg yolks and whisk till it is combined and pale in colour.

Then heat the milk until it starts to simmer, carefully/gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time. Return the mixture to the sauce pan and stir continuously.

Once it starts to thicken add the peanut butter and whisk until its the required thickness. Pour into a heat proof bowl and cover with cling film (make sure it touches the top) and allow to cool.

Once cool, whip the cream until soft peaks then fold in the creme patisserie.

Simple to make just strawberries & jam sugar but super tasty

When you are ready to make the eclairs melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of boiling water. Cut the eclairs and spread a layer of strawberry jam (I used homemade but you could use shop bought). Then a layer of the creme patisserie, closing the eclair and drizzling with the chocolate, place on a cooling rack. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge until required.

After words I went a walk with my friend heather and her loopy labradoodle Lucy,

yes she is clean off the ground

 

I didn't get much time between finishing the eclairs and the lasses coming over so only got one photo... I will bulk this up with more photos next time I make them.

Let me know if you try them xxx