/getattachment/b26ba0f0-c46f-40f7-955b-f87f2d540ee4/Fudge-Eclairs.aspx

Fudge Eclairs Recipe

A play on the traditional Chocolate Eclairs, we make use of a convenient filler and delicious topping that will turn heads!

Difficulty

Prep Time

25 minutes

Cooking Time

30 minutes

Serves

Makes 12 eclairs

Recipe Ingredients

  • 250 ml hot water
  •  50g SPAR margarine, cubed
  • 200 ml  SPAR cake flour (95 g)
  •  pinch  salt
  •  4 large SPAR  eggs

Filling

  • ½ tub  SPAR Cheesecake mix (200 g)

Topping

  • 1 large box Cream Caramel sweets (150 g)
  • 15 ml SPAR milk
  • 15 ml SPAR margarine (not the softer tub, Spread for Bread, type)

Recipe Method

  1. Pre-heat oven to 230° C. Grease a large baking tin.
  2. Prepare half the quantity of cheesecake mix as per on-pack directions. Refrigerate.
  3. Bring the water and margarine to the boil together in a saucepan.
  4. Immediately boiling point is reached, add the flour and salt all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon over low heat, until the mixture readily leaves the pot sides.  Remove from stove and set aside to cool slightly, but not get cold.
  5. Using wooden spoon or electric hand-held beater, beat in the eggs one at time, beating well after each addition to achieve a smooth, shiny mixture.
  6. Spoon the mixture into a large piping bag with a star nozzle, and squeeze out +-6cm lengths or small puffs the size you associate with meringues, onto the prepared baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 190° C and bake a further 15-20 minutes.
  8. Snip into the side of each puff to allow steam to escape from inside the risen set shape.
  9. Set the puffs aside on a cake cooling rack.  Increase the opening of each puff.
  10. Cook the sweets, milk and margarine together in a microwave oven, in a small glass heat-proof bowl or jug at 60 % Power*.  Stir vigorously every 20 seconds or so, until melted to form a smooth thick fudge sauce.
  11. Working quickly, briefly dip and twist away the top of each puff into the sauce, to give it a coating. Set aside to firm.
  12. Neatly spoon or pipe the chilled filling generously into each one.
  13. Serve, or store in a covered container in the fridge.

*The sauce was tested in a 900Watt microwave oven. Adjust timing slightly if your oven is different.

Hints & Tips

Accuracy during each step of measuring and preparing choux pastry is important for obtaining well shaped, crisp and stable puffs to work with.
A generous dusting with sieved icing sugar can be used as substitute for the caramel topping.
Thinly sliced fresh strawberries folded into the cheesecake mix turn these into dessert-appropriate puffs.