Servings: 22 lemon meringue mini eclairs
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Digital thermometer
Ingredients
Lemon Pastry Cream:
- 1 3/4 cups milk ~420g
- 2 lemons medium
- 4 egg yolks medium or large (about 60-70g)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch ~40g
- 7 tablespoons sugar ~87g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter ~28g
Eclairs:
- ¼ cup water ~60 ml
- ¼ cup milk ~60 ml
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter ~45 g
- 2½ oz all-purpose flour ~70 g
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1¼ tsp sugar
- 2 large eggs ~95g after cracking
Meringue:
- 3 egg whites about 90 - 100g, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 100 g water 1/2 cup - 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar optional
Instructions
Lemon Pastry Cream:
- Wash Lemons: Rinse under running water and optionally soak in a baking soda solution to remove pesticides.
- Zest and Juice: Use a microplane or zester to remove the zest, then juice the lemons.2 lemons
- Infuse Milk: Heat the milk with lemon zest until bubbles form at the edges, then turn off the heat and let it steep for 20-30 minutes.1 3/4 cups milk
- Mix Egg Ingredients: Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a heatproof bowl.4 egg yolks, 7 tablespoons sugar, 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- Boil Milk: Reheat the infused milk with added vanilla extract to a boil, then remove from heat.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Temper Yolks: Slowly add hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling.
- Cook Cream: Return the mixture to the pot and cook on low heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.
- Finish Cream: Remove from heat and whisk for an additional minute.
- Add Butter and Lemon Juice: Stir in butter until melted, then add the lemon juice.2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Taste and Adjust: Test the flavor and adjust sweetness or tanginess as needed.
- Strain (Optional): Strain to remove zest or any lumps for a smoother texture.
- Cool and Chill: Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate if not using soon.
Eclairs:
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Boil Butter Mixture: In a pot, mix butter, milk, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil, ensuring the butter melts completely.¼ cup water, ¼ cup milk, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, ¼ tsp salt, 1¼ tsp sugar
- Add Flour: Off the heat, add flour and stir. Return to low heat, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes until the dough is thick and glossy and leaves a thin film on the pot bottom.2½ oz all-purpose flour
- Cool Dough: Transfer dough to a bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes, spreading it out to cool faster.
- Whisk Eggs: Beat eggs in a separate bowl.2 large eggs
- Mix Dough: Once the dough has slightly cooled, mix it with a hand mixer. Gradually add half the eggs, mix, and then add the remaining eggs bit by bit until the dough forms a 'V' shape when lifted with a whisk or spatula.
- Prepare Tray: Line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat. Optionally, draw 4- to 5-inch lines with 2 inches in between on the parchment as a guide for piping.
- Piping Prep: Fill a piping bag with a large tip with the eclair dough.
- Pipe: Pipe the dough into strips on the tray, spaced more than an inch apart. Smooth any irregular ends with wet fingers.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for 40 minutes (30 to 35 minutes for minis), reducing the temperature if the eclairs start to brown prematurely, and open the oven door slightly for the last 5 minutes to release steam.
- Cool: Let eclairs cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
Meringue:
- Cook Syrup: Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, stir gently until the sugar dissolves. Then, bring to a boil.1 cup granulated sugar, 100 g water
- Whipping Prep: Combine egg whites, lemon juice, and cream of tartar in a stand mixer bowl.3 egg whites, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Continue Cooking Sugar Syrup: Once boiling, increase heat to medium-high. Heat the syrup until the mixture reaches 220-230°F (105-110°C) without stirring.
- Whip Whites: Start whipping egg whites on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and whip until soft peaks form.
- Cook Syrup: Heat the syrup to 244°F (118°C). If the whites are ready first, turn off the mixer. Once it reaches the given temperature, let the syrup sit for 20-30 seconds off heat before continuing.
- Combine: Set the mixer to high and slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites. Avoid the bowl sides and the whisk. Add vanilla extract if using.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whip: After adding the sugar syrup and vanilla, switch to medium speed and whip until the meringue is stiff and shiny and the bowl is no longer hot, about 4-7 minutes.
Assembly:
- Eclair Prep: Poke three holes in the bottom of each eclair with a small round piping tip or paring knife. Alternatively, slice each eclair in half horizontally.
- Prep Pastry Cream: If refrigerated, stir pastry cream with a fork, then whisk until smooth.
- Pipe Eclairs: Fill a piping bag with pastry cream and fill each eclair until full.
- Pipe Meringue: Fill a piping bag with meringue and pipe onto the eclair tops.
- (Optional) Torch Meringue: Lightly brown the meringue with a kitchen torch.
- Serve: Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.
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