Éclair with Lemon Cream and Meringue

Preheat your oven at 400°F

For the éclairs

• In a saucepan, bring to a boil the water, milk, sugar, salt, butter and the vanilla.
• Remove from the heat and add the flour and start to stir with a wood spoon.
• Place back on the stove and cook until the dough pulls away from the edges of the pan.
• Transfer to a stand mixer and add the eggs one by one.
• Fill a pastry bag with the dough and form the éclairs, 12 cm long on a baking tray lined with the Starfrit Silicone Cooking Mat.

For the lemon cream

• In a pot, place all the ingredients except for the butter in the order they appear in the recipe.
• Place on the stove top and cook while continuously stirring.
• Let it boil for at least 30 seconds.
• Pass the cream through a fine mesh sieve, whisk in the butter and set aside in the fridge covered with plastic wrap.

For the meringue

• In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar.
• Place the bowl over a steam bath and start to energetically whisk.
• Once the mixture starts to emulsify and the temperature is just about as hot as you can comfortably manage by touching it, transfer to the stand mixer.
• Continue to whisk until it has cooled down completely.
• With the help of a pastry pouch, garnish the eclair with the meringue.

For the plating

• Remove the top of the eclair, fill it with lemon cream, and then with a pastry bag, make some nice little balls of meringue on the top.
• Sprinkle with icing sugar and then caramelize with a torch.

Chef's tip

• Using the Starfrit Silicone Cooking Mat will prevent the dough from sticking during the baking.