Caramelized Corn and Blueberry Eclairs with Raw Honey and Almonds

Caramelized Corn and Blueberry Eclairs with Raw Honey and Almonds

Recipe type: dessert Yield: 12 Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 3 hrs Total time: 3 hrs 20 mins

Chef Johnny Iuzzini has partnered with Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts on eight signature recipes for the eclair programme. Recreate this custom eclair

Ingredients:

Eclair Shells
1/2 cup + 2 tsp Whole milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp Water
1 Stick Unsalted butter
1tsp Sugar
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 1/4 C Bread flour
65 g Whole wheat flour
4 to 5 Large eggs
Vegetable oil cooking spray

Caramelized Corn Pastry Cream
6 ears Corn, cut from cob
65 g Sugar
50 g Butter
1 g Kosher salt
480 g Milk
2 Vanilla beans, split
27 g Cornstarch
6 Egg yolks, large
42 g Butter, cold, diced

Blueberry Jam
250 g Blueberries, crushed
1 Tbsp Lemon juice, fresh
700 g Sugar
3 oz Liquid pectin

Crystallized Almonds
100 g Sliced almonds, toasted golden and cooled
50 g Simple syrup
1 g Rose water
1 g Orange blossom water
100 g Granulated sugar

Honey Glaze
250 g Fondant, icing patissier
50 g Raw honey
5 g Lemon juice, fresh
1 Lemon, zested
As needed Yellow food coloring, natural

Toppings
Fennel pollen
Honeycomb, broken up into small pieces

Directions:

1. Eclair Shells
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
3. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
4. In a large saucepan, slowly bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to a simmer over medium-low heat.
5. Remove from the heat.
6. Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until combined and evenly moistened.
7. Return the pan to medium-low heat.
8. Stir continuously for 3 to 4 minutes to dry out the mixture.
9. The dough should pull away from the sides of the pan and a skin should begin to form in the base of the pan.
10. Transfer the dough to a standing mixer bowl and use the spoon to spread the dough out in a thin layer against the sides of the bowl.
11. Let stand for at least 15 minutes, until cool.
12. Attach the paddle to the bowl and turn the mixer on to low speed.
13. Add 2 of the eggs and mix until completely incorporated.
14. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
15. Turn the mixer back on to low and add another egg; mix until incorporated.
16. After 3 eggs, the dough should hold a peak when you pull the paddle out of the dough but should immediately fold over onto itself.
17. If too firm, add the 4th egg and mix well.
18. The dough should now be smooth, elastic and firm enough to pipe and hold its shape but
19. should not be runny.
20. You can test it by putting a heaping tablespoon on a plate.
21. The dough should collapse slightly but still hold a rounded shape.
22. If the dough is still too firm, beat another egg in a small bowl until combined and add about half of it to the dough.
23. Mix on low speed until incorporated and check the consistency.
24. If the dough is still too firm, add the remaining egg and mix well.
25. If it seems runny, refrigerate the dough for 15 to 20 minutes before piping.
26. For éclairs, use a 7⁄16-inch star tip (Ateco #825).
27. To pipe éclairs, hold the piping bag at a 45-degree angle away from you and start squeezing the bag.
28. When the dough starts to flow, pull the bag up and over the point where you started (as if creating an “S”) toward you and pipe 3-1/2-to-4-inch-long cylinders.
29. When long enough, stop squeezing and lift the bag straight up and over the dough, which will leave a point at the closest end.
30. With a wet finger, press the points into the dough where you stopped piping.
31. The éclairs should have rounded ends with no points.
32. Use a wet finger to mold any misshapen éclairs.
33. Spray a light coating of cooking spray over the surface of the éclairs.
34. Put the pans in the oven, immediately reduce the temperature to 325°F.
35. Bake for 30 minutes.
36. Rotate the pans and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes, until the éclairs are deep golden brown and feel hollow.
37. Cool the éclairs completely on the pans before filling or freezing them.
38. Makes about 1 dozen 4-inch éclairs.
40. Caramelized Corn Pastry Cream
41. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs.
42. Put the butter and sugar in a skillet over medium-high heat.
43. When the butter is melted add the corn and salt.
44. Cook, stirring often until the corn is completely tender and slightly browned.
45. Scrape the corn into a blender, add the milk and puree until fine.
46. If the puree is very thick add a bit more milk until it moves freely in the blender.
47. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into another medium saucepan.
48. Split the vanilla beans.
49. Scrape out the seeds.
50. Add both the pods and seeds to the milk and heat over medium heat.
51. Stir occasionally, for about 4 minutes, until the milk is very hot and steaming but not boiling.
52. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together.
53. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until well mixed and homogenous.
54. Whisk the sugar mixture into the eggs until lightened and fluffy.
55. While whisking, temper the egg yolks by pouring about a third of the hot milk over the yolk mixture and whisk very well until combined.
56. Add another third of the hot corn milk and whisk well.
57. Whisk in the remaining milk and pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
58. Return the pan to medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to boil.
59. Whisk the mixture vigorously at a boil for 2 full minutes.
60. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, a little at a time.
61. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small baking sheet or cake pan.
62. Press the cream in the strainer to remove any cooked egg bits.
63. Discard the vanilla beans or reserve for another use.
64. Spread the pastry cream into a thin layer on the sheet.
65. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface.
66. Cool the pastry cream to room temperature.
67. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
68. When ready to use, transfer the pastry cream to a bowl.
69. Stir with a rubber spatula to loosen it.
70. Pastry cream should be used within 3 days.
72. Blueberry Jam
73. Gently crush the blueberries, do not puree.
74. Combine the fruit, lemon juice and sugar in a pot and bring to a rolling boil while stirring.
75. Add the liquid pectin and return to a rolling boil.
76. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes.
77. Pour into a container and allow to cool at room temp for 20 minutes.
78. Chill in the refrigerator until set.
80. Crystallized Almonds
81. Combine the syrup, rose water and orange blossom water in a bowl.
82. Add almonds and toss to moisten.
83. Place the sugar in a separate bowl.
84. A little at a time, drain and dredge the almonds in the sugar.
85. Scatter the almonds across a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
86. Bake at 200° F until sugar is crystallized.
87. Cool and reserve.
89. Honey Glaze
90. Over a double boiler combine the fondant and honey and warm up to 95°-98° F.
91. Add the lemon juice, zest and color and stir well to combine.
93. To Assemble
94. Poke 4 holes across the bottom of the baked shells.
95. Attach a small plain tip to a pastry bag and fill it with corn pastry cream.
96. Using another pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip, fill with the blueberry jam.
97. Pipe a small amount of blueberry jam in each hole.
98. Then fill the éclairs using the same holes with the corn pastry cream.
99. Dip the shells into the prepared fondant and allow to set.
100. Sprinkle with fennel pollen.
101. Place small pieces of honeycomb and candied sliced almonds across the top.
102. Serve as soon as possible.

Published on August 4, 2014 by Teri Williams