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Swap out your traditional summer ice cream cone for light and refreshing cherry éclairs. Crisp choux pastry logs are filled with a mascarpone whipped cream made with Harry & David sweet cherries and covered with a light dusting of powdered sugar. It's hard to just eat one five.
During summer, I love a dessert that's refreshing and fruit-forward versus something that's heavy or overly sweet. There is no pastry cream in these éclairs; just the whipped cream, which makes these pastries feel as light as air.
This choux pastry recipe is a little unorthodox because it has a tablespoon of vodka. I prefer a slightly crisp éclair, and a little bit of alcohol helps to make a crisp pastry. When making dough, two wheat flour proteins, gliadin and glutenin form gluten when combined with water, which can lead to a tough consistency. However, gluten will not form in alcohol, so adding a dash of your favorite booze will keep the dough light and crispy. I went with vodka because it is flavorless, but bourbon is another great option if you're looking for more flavor.
Éclairs are easy to make, and I find it's often easier to throw together an éclair than a cake, especially if you are making a whipped cream-based filling. They take less baking and cooling time, it's easier to fill an éclair than it is to frost a cake, and they are equally as stunning.
SERVINGS
- Stand mixer
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Cherry pitter
- For the choux pastry
- 14 cup Milk
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon vodka
- 12 tablespoon sugar
- 14 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 12 cup flour
- 2-3 eggs
- For the cherry mascarpone whipped cream
- 2 cups Harry & David® Cherries (chopped, 1 cup for the mascarpone cream and one for garnish)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces mascarpone
- 12 teaspoon vanilla
- 12 cup powdered sugar
- For the choux pastry
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, water, vodka, sugar, salt, and butter and bring to a boil. Stir until all the butter has melted.
- Add in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough ball forms. Keep mixing the dough around the pan for 2-3 minutes to cook the flour.
- Move the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer up to medium and add the eggs one at a time. Allow each egg to be fully mixed before adding the next one. After you add the first two eggs, lightly beat the remaining one and add it in 1/4 at a time. Keep mixing until your dough is glossy but thick enough to hold a V shape at the end of the paddle. (I wound up using 2 1/2 eggs in total.)
- Preheat oven to 425° F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Transfer your choux pastry to a pastry bag and cut off the end. Pipe the dough into 3-4 inch logs about 1 1/2 inches apart. You should be able to pipe 9-10 logs. If you have large tips of dough at the end of your éclairs, dab your finger in a little water and smooth them down.
- Place your baking trays in the oven and turn the temperature down to 375° F. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the éclairs rise and are golden brown.
- Turn off the oven and let the éclairs cool for 15 minutes with the door open. Remove the trays from the oven and let the éclairs finish cooling.
- For the cherry mascarpone whipped cream
- Use a cherry pitter to remove the pits of approximately 2 cups of sweet cherries.
- Chop the cherries fine enough that they won't have trouble getting through a pastry bag.
- Add the whipping cream and mascarpone to a medium bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Add in the sugar and vanilla and whip until fully incorporated.
- Fold in 1 cup of the chopped cherries.
- For assembly
- Carefully cut the éclairs in half. Pipe the cherry cream into the bottom halves.
- Garnish with more pitted cherries and place the tops back on the éclairs.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
AUTHOR
Pate is a baker, recipe developer, and food photographer based in Louisville, Kentucky. Through her blog, The G&M Kitchen, she showcases easy, elegant, and beautiful recipes inspired by southern traditions and flavors but with twists that bring them into the modern age. She also believes that if a recipe is missing something, it's usually bourbon.
