Apple crumble eclairs

When it comes to autumn desserts you can’t beat a traditional apple filling topped with crispy, buttery crumble-classic comfort food at its best (sorry pumpkin lovers!). Being a pastry chef though always pushed me to think creatively and outside of the box.  As much as I love a good apple crumble it is well a bit…boring! One of my favourite treats of all time is éclairs and I have made enough of them in my time to build a second Big Ben (or two!). So there you have it…Classic éclairs with a crispy craquelin topping, cinnamon mousseline, apple puree and baked to perfection to remind you of the best thing you had since well…apple crumble! The cream itself is a pastry cream base and there is butter added to it (exactly like the French like it!), so do make sure to make it last as otherwise it will set in the fridge! Classic apple crumble is so last year so how about transforming it to a more modern version?!

Ingredients for the apple puree

• Granny smith apples: I love the tart flavour of granny smith apples and it really balances out the rich and sweet mousseline cream.
• Jam sugar: Jam sugar is basically caster sugar with pectin which will act as your thickening agent for your puree. You can find it in all the big supermarkets.
• Lemon juice: There is a small amount of lemon juice going into the puree and it will prevent the apples from going brown.

Ingredients for the craquelin

• Unsalted butter: The butter needs to be cubed and cold so the dough keeps firm and doesn’t melt.
• Plain flour: Plain flour is ideal for the craquelin as its medium gluten content helps the choux rise without being too heavy.
• Demerara sugar: I normally use caster sugar for craquelin but since these éclairs are a twist on apple crumble; demerara sugar is perfect for an extra crunchy topping.

Ingredients for the pate a choux

• Whole milk: Milk acts as a tenderizer in baked goods so make sure you use whole milk to achieve a stable choux.
• Unsalted butter: Make sure the butter is cubed so it melts evenly when heated.
• Salt: The addition of salt is essential to create a pleasant contrast against the sweet filling.
• Sugar: Not many people add sugar to the pate a choux but together with the salt it creates a perfectly balanced choux.
• Plain flour: Plain or 00 flour is ideal for pate a choux as it allows the choux to rise and steam. Make sure to sieve it to avoid any lumps.
• Whole eggs: 2 medium eggs (around 100 eggs) will be added to the choux. Room temperature eggs incorporate better into the cooked choux.

Ingredients for the cinnamon mousseline

• Whole milk: Whole milk will be the base of the pastry cream. Always use whole milk for all your anglaise based creams as it gives more stability and richness to the finished product.
• Egg yolks: Two egg yolks will be used for this recipe for extra richness and smoothness.
• Caster sugar: Caster sugar has a finer texture in comparison to coarser sugars resulting in a smoother pastry cream.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is what separates the pastry cream from a simple anglaise as the cornstarch will thicken up and set the pastry cream. You can also use custard powder for a more intense egg yolk colour.
• Unsalted butter: Unsalted butter will be added at the end for extra richness and it is what separates a pastry cream from a mousseline cream. Make sure to start making the mousseline last as it sets like buttercream if you store in the fridge.
• Vanilla pod: I love vanilla pod in most of my bakes but it is absolutely necessary for pastry cream. Also the vanilla caviar running through the cream makes it extra pretty!
• Cinnamon: I added cinnamon to most of my elements in this dessert as you can’t have apple crumble without it!

For the apple puree

• 250g apples
• 40g jam sugar
• 50ml water
• 5ml lemon juice
• 3g cinnamon

For the cinnamon mousseline cream

• 125g whole milk
• 50g egg yolk (2 egg yolks)
• 35g caster sugar
• 10g corn starch
• 1 vanilla pod
• 180g butter
• 5g cinnamon powder

For the craquelin (makes one small sheet enough for 19-20 medium sized eclairs)

• 90g plain flour
• 90g demerara sugar
• 75g butter
• 3g cinnamon powder 

For the pate a choux (makes 19-20 medium sized eclairs)

• 100g water
• 30g whole milk
• Pinch of salt
• 5g sugar
• 52.5g butter
• 75g plain flour (sifted)
• 100g eggs (2 medium eggs)

How to make the apple puree

1. Peel, remove the core and cut the granny smith apples into medium sized chunks.
2. Place them into a non-stick pan, together with the jam sugar, cinnamon powder, and water and heat gently until it comes to a simmer.
3. Once it is starting to bubble, place a cartouche on the top and cook gently for about 5-6 minutes until the apples have softened.
4. If your puree is starting to stick to the pan add a splash of water.
5. When your puree is softened, remove from the heat and place in a blender. Blitz until smooth, adding a bit more water if your puree is too dry.
6. Transfer to a container and let it cool down at room temperature before transferring to the fridge to set.
7. Once it has cooled and set, transfer to a piping bag.

How to make the craquelin

1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, add sugar, cold cubed butter, cinnamon powder and rub together until the mixture forms a dough.
2. Roll out to 2mm between 2 sheets of parchment paper, shaping it into a rectangular and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from the fridge and using a sharp knife cut the craquelin to 2cm by 7cm. Place back in the fridge until needed.

How to make the pate a choux

1. Heat the milk, water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to the boil.
2. Take the pan of the heat and add the sifted flour. Use a spatula to stir until completely combined.
3. Return the pan to the hob, reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a spatula until the dough leaves the sides of the pan and doesn’t taste of floury(*see Notes).
4. Take off the heat; transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and leave to cool for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Gradually add the beaten eggs into the dough.
6. Beat with a spatula until the mixture is smooth. The consistency should be neither too soft nor too hard. It should drop off the spoon leaving a smooth V shape.
7. Preheat the oven at 200°C.
8. Place the pate a choux into a piping bag fitted with an 8mm star nozzle. Pipe long strips of pate a choux on a small tray, making sure to pipe as consistent as possible.
9. Place the tray in the freezer until the choux is completely frozen and firm.
10. Take the tray out of the freezer, transfer the frozen choux strips onto a clean chopping board and cut them to 7cm each using a sharp knife. Place the cut eclairs to a separate tray lined with paper, leaving a 2 cm gap in between. This process needs to be as quick as possible as your choux will start defrosting and stick to your chopping board after couple of minutes.
11. Let the éclairs defrost completely, take the portioned craquelin out of the fridge and place them on top of the éclairs, pressing slightly to make sure they stick.
12. Bake for 14-15 minutes(*see Notes). Turn the oven temperature down to 180°C and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

How to make the cinnamon mousseline 

1. Put the milk in a saucepan together with the split vanilla pod. Bring to a simmer.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon powder and cornstarch. Continue whisking until the mixture slightly thickens and turns into light colour, 2-3 minutes.
3. Pour half the milk into the mixing bowl (*see Notes) and whisk again till there are no lumps.
4. Return the mixture back to the remaining milk in the pan.
5. Continuously whisk the mixture until it comes to the boil.
6. Reduce the temperature to a simmer and continue to stir and cook for 3-5 minutes.
7. Take the pan off the heat and pour the crème patisserie into the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attached. Mix the cream on medium speed until it cool down slightly (around 30°C on a digital thermometer). Add the cubed, room temperature butter and mixed until well incorporated. There should be no bits of butter left. If there is, scrape the bowl with a spatula and keep paddling until smooth.
8. Place in a piping bag, ready to fill the éclairs.

Assemble the apple crumble eclairs 

1. Once the éclairs are cooled, make two holes at the back of each éclairs using the back scissors. Make sure you don’t go too deep into the choux.
2. Pipe a generous amount of the mousseline cream inside filing up around 2/3 of the éclair. Fill the rest 2/3 of the éclair with the apple puree.
3. In a heat-proof bowl place some white chocolate (around 200g) and heat gently in the microwave until just melted. This step is optional and you can simply serve the éclairs as they are!
4. Dip each éclair into the white chocolate, sprinkle with some more cinnamon powder and if you are feeling really fancy, finish with a bit of gold leaf.
5. These are best served the same day but can be kept in the fridge for up to two days.
6. Enjoy 🙂

Notes

• Pouring some of the hot milk in the whipped eggs and sugar is called tempering and it prevents the eggs from curdling. We don’t want scrambled egg filling for our éclairs.
• You might think I am insane (and sometimes can be true!) but tasting the choux while cooking is the best way to understand if your choux is cooked. If it still tastes floury, pop it back and cook for a bit longer.
• When cooking choux it is vital that you do not open the oven for 12-15 minutes after placing the choux in the oven. Choux pastry rises when the moisture in the dough heats and creates steam; if the oven is opened before the outside of the dough has time to cook, the steam comes out of the paste and the pastry collapses.

Meringue kisses,
Athina xx