Vietnamese coffee éclairs

An amazing crowd pleaser

These delicious coffee éclairs with whipped cream on the top and coffee jelly squares to decorate are so light and creamy, with the taste of coffee from the silky coffee crème patissière (the individual recipe of it is in the baking basics category on the blog) and the light condensed milk whipped cream. The condensed milk flavour from the whipped cream gives a really subtle flavour and goes really well with the coffee flavour.

They are called "Vietnamese" because of the little squares of coffee jelly on the top, these are originally made with agar, an ingredient that is very used in Vietnamese desserts.

These certainly take a bit of time but are really worth it, trust me, at the moment I am remembering how good they were and can't wait to remake them.

The mini jelly squares really are only there for decoration although their texture goes well with the creaminess from the pastry cream and whipped cream but their taste isn't very delicious, it tastes of bland jelly and a little of coffee but to give the taste a little kick, you could add a little cognac to the jelly.

I have failed so many time to make a decent pâte à choux but this recipe has never failed me.

I have a more detailed post on the blog in the baking basics category only on how to make pâte à choux so you can go and check it out to get more tips on how to achieve one.

Ingredients

For the pâte à choux:

• 125 grams unsalted butter

• 250 ml semi-skimmed milk /full-fat milk

• 20 grams caster sugar

• 1 pinch of salt

• 140 grams of plain flour

• 4 eggs

For the crème patissière:

• 4 egg yolks

• 25 grams plain flour

• 25 grams cornflour

• 380 ml semi-skimmed milk or full-fat

• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder

• 110 grams caster sugar

For the condensed milk whipped cream:

• 200 ml double cream or whipping cream

• 100 grams sweetened condensed milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coffee jelly decoration:

• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

• 1 packet of gelatin powder (11 grams), bloomed

• 200 ml warm water

That pastry cream was so silky

Recipe:

For the Pâte à Choux:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.

2. Place the milk + butter + sugar + salt into a saucepan and onto the hob on low heat.

3. Once the butter is completely melted, add the flour in one go and stir with a spatula.

4. Stir continuously until a little bit of the mixture starts sticking to the bottom of the saucepan, then take off the heat.

5. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer or a bowl.

6. Start whisking with the whisk attachment and add the eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly in between each egg.

7. Once all of the eggs have been incorporated, stop the mixer.

8. Your mixture should be 3 things: elastic, shiny and well-mixed.

9. Place your mixture into a piping bag fitted with the standard hole nozzle (the diameter of the nozzle hole is about 15 - 20 mm).

10. Pipe your eclairs onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment, they should be about 10 cm long.

11. Place in the oven for about 25 mins or until golden and pretty hard on the bottom when tapped.

12. Cool on a baking rack.

For the Coffee Jelly Decoration:

1. Place the water + bloomed gelatin + coffee granules and simmer on low heat until the gelatin is dissolved.

2. Line a cake tin or a baking tray with sides with parchment paper.

3. Pour the mixture onto prepared sheet and place in the fridge to set for about 6 hours.

For the Crème Patissière:

(For more details on how to never fail it, there is a whole post on how to achieve a perfect one on the blog)

1. Whisk your egg yolk + 2/3 of your caster sugar for about 2 mins until really pale and thick.

2. Sift in your cornflour + plain flour + vanilla powder and whisk until combined

3. Coat the bottom of a medium-sized saucepan with the remainder of your caster sugar.

4. Add your milk and let simmer on low heat. (Be careful, it goes very fast)

5. Once the milk is nearly boiling, take off the heat and add half of it to your egg yolk mixture and whisk just until combined and pour back into the saucepan with the remainder of the milk.

6. Place back onto medium-heat and whisk quickly continuously until thickened, this can take up to 2 mins but whatever you do, don't stop whisking.

7. Once your pastry cream is thick and silky, take off the heat and place into a bowl and place clingfilm over it so that a skin won't form.

8. Once cooled, store in the fridge until needed.

Condensed Milk Whipped Cream

1. Whip the double cream until thick but not stiff.

2. Add in the condensed milk + vanilla extract and whisk until thick and silky.

3. Make sure to not whisk until stiff.

4. Place the cream into a piping bag with your nozzle of choice.

5. Set aside for when needed.

To Build:

1. Take your cooled éclairs and poke 3 holes in the of them, not too big but big enough for your nozzle from your piping bag to just about fit in.

2. Place your crème patissière into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle with a small hole.

3. Poke your piping bag into the holes you created on the bottom of your éclairs and apply pressure to make the pastry cream come out.

4. Apply pressure until the éclairs gets bigger and pastry cream is starting to come out of the other holes, that's when you have filled them enough.

5. Fill all of the éclairs and place in the fridge for 30 mins

6. Take out your éclairs from the fridge and pipe on your condensed milk whipped cream.

7. Cut your coffee jelly into minuscule squares.

8. Scatter the squares onto your whipped cream.

Your stunning and scrumptious Vietnamese Coffee Éclairs are ready to be served and ready to be enjoyed !!!