Di Bella Espresso Chocolate Eclairs with Coffee Candied Pecans
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 100 gm butter
  • 1 cup plain flour, sieved
  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • Espresso crème pâtissière
  • 3750 ml milk
  • 75 ml Di Bella Arnika Reserve Blend espresso coffee
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 150 gm caster sugar
  • 40 gm plain flour sieved
  • 240 ml thickened cream
  • Chocolate Ganache Topping
  • ¼ cup cream
  • 150 gm dark (70% cocoa) chocolate , roughly chopped
  • Coffee Candied Pecans
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 cup pecan pieces
  • 15 mls Di Bella Arnika Reserve Blend espresso coffee
  • 2 tbs caster sugar
  • 2 tbs brown sugar
  • Pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
  1. For the espresso cream, bring milk and coffee to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the flour with 10 ml of water and make sure its smooth and with no lumps. Then add the egg yolks and the sugar. Mix well. Add about ¼ cup of the milk mixture to the bowl of egg yolks, whisking continuously until smooth. Add the milk and yolks to the rest of the milk in the pan. Whisk over for a few minutes over medium heat until thick and smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, so the wrap touches the custard. Refrigerate.
  2. Preheat oven to 220°C. Combine butter and 250ml water in a saucepan, bring to the simmer over high heat and cook until butter is melted. Add flour, beating with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from sides of pan. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, then add eggs one at a time. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1-2cm nozzle and pipe 8cm lengths on trays lined with baking paper. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 180°C for a further 15 minutes. Leave the oven on and reduce heat to 150°C for the nuts. Transfer the eclairs to a wire rack, cool completely then halve horizontally with a bread knife.
  3. For the nuts, whisk your egg whites to stiff peaks, add coffee, cinnamon and 1 tbs of each of the sugar, mix well until the sugars have dissolved. Add nuts and coat well. Once nuts are nicely coated, drain away the excess liquid and place the nuts, separated, on a baking sheet. Combine the last tbs of each sugar and sprinkle the nuts. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
  4. Next, whip your cream to soft peaks and then gently fold through the custard until combined. Transfer to a piping bag with no nozzle and place back in the fridge.
  5. For the chocolate ganache, heat the cream in a double boiler, once hot, remove from heat and stir in chocolate until completely melted and silky. Dip the top of the eclairs in the ganache and set aside on a rack to set slightly.
  6. To assemble, pipe the espresso cream in the eclair base, replace with chocolate ganache eclair top, sprinkle with candied pecans.
  7. So good! Enjoy.
Recipe by Eatin' mess at https://eatinmess.com.au/recipes/by-meal/breakfast-and-brunch/di-bella-espresso-chocolate-eclairs-with-coffee-candied-pecans/