Servings: 18 Snickers mini eclairs
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Ingredients
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
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter ~14 g, for brushing
Caramel Sauce:
- 4 oz white sugar ~112g
- 1/2 cup heavy cream ~120g
- 3 tbsp butter ~ 42g
- 1 pinch salt to taste
Peanut Butter Pastry Cream:
- 1 1/8 cups milk ~270 g
- 1/4 cup peanut butter ~64 g
- 3 egg yolks medium or large, about 45–53 g
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch ~25 g
- 5 tablespoons sugar ~62 g
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
- 3 oz dark chocolate ~85 g
- 1/3 cup heavy cream ~80 g
- 1 tablespoon butter ~14 g
- Peanuts coarsely chopped
Instructions
Caramel Sauce:
- Prep ingredients. Measure everything before starting. Ensure the butter is at room temperature.
- Warm cream. Heat heavy cream until bubbles form at the edges, then turn off the heat. Keep warm.1/2 cup heavy cream
- Start melting sugar. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Do not stir.
- Melt all sugar. Once the first layer melts, lower the heat and gradually add the rest, melting each addition before adding more. Stir minimally. Make sure the mixture turns a deep amber color before you continue.4 oz white sugar
- Incorporate cream. Slowly add hot cream in small amounts, stirring gently. It will bubble vigorously, so be careful.
- Cook to temperature. Use a thermometer to reach your desired consistency. For a pourable sauce, heat to 223–234°F (106–112°C). Then remove from heat.
- Add butter. Stir in for a minute or two to cool the mixture then stir in room-temperature butter until smooth.3 tbsp butter
- Season with salt. Mix in salt to taste.1 pinch salt
- Strain for smoothness. Pour through a fine sieve to remove any crystallized bits.
- Cool and store. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. It will thicken as it cools.
Make & Bake Eclairs:
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Combine & Boil: In a saucepan, mix butter, milk, water, salt, and sugar; bring to a boil, ensuring butter is melted.¼ cup water, ¼ cup milk, ¼ tsp salt, 1¼ tsp sugar, 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- Add Flour & Cook: Remove saucepan from heat; dump in all flour at once and stir to combine. Return to low heat and stir for 2–3 minutes until a smooth dough forms and a thin film appears on the pan’s bottom.2½ oz all-purpose flour
- Cool & Prep Eggs: Transfer dough to a bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a separate bowl.2 large eggs
- Incorporate Eggs: Mix dough with a hand mixer, then gradually add whisked eggs. Check consistency with a “V-shape” test: dough should slowly fall off a spatula, forming a V shape at the tip.
- Pipe: Pipe 4–5-inch strips onto a lined baking sheet (about 2.5–3 inches for minis). Brush lightly with melted butter.1 tablespoon butter
- Bake: Place in the oven and immediately reduce temp to 356°F (180°C). Bake 35–40 minutes (30-35 minutes for minis), venting the oven door slightly in the last 5 minutes. Cool before filling.
Peanut Butter Pastry Cream:
- Heat the Milk Mixture. Whisk together milk, vanilla extract, and sugar in a saucepan; heat until steaming (not boiling).1 1/8 cups milk, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5 tablespoons sugar
- Prep the Yolks. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm milk mixture until smooth.3 egg yolks, 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Temper the Eggs. Slowly whisk a few spoonfuls of hot milk into the yolk mixture, repeating 3–4 times to prevent curdling.
- Cook Until Thick. Pour everything back into the saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbling (2–4 minutes).
- Remove and Whisk. Take off heat and whisk for about a minute to smooth out any lumps.
- Stir in Peanut Butter. Add creamy peanut butter and stir until fully blended.1/4 cup peanut butter
- Taste and Adjust. Stir in salt, then taste and add more salt or sugar if needed.1/8 teaspoon salt
- Strain if Desired. For extra smoothness, press through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Cover and Chill. Lay plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a skin; cool at room temperature. Refrigerate (covered) if making in advance.
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
- Heat Cream: Warm heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form around edges (do not boil).1/3 cup heavy cream
- Combine with Chocolate: Add chopped chocolate and let sit for about a minute, then stir until smooth.3 oz dark chocolate
- Add Butter & Cool: Stir in butter until fully melted. Let ganache cool, stirring occasionally, until thick but pourable.1 tbsp unsalted butter
Combine:
- Prep Eclairs: Slice each eclair in half horizontally with a serrated knife, creating a top and bottom. Keep each top near its matching bottom.
- Whisk Pastry Cream: If chilled, the cream will be thick. “Chop” it with a fork, then whisk until smooth and ready for piping.
- Pour Caramel: Spread a thin layer of caramel on each bottom half using about two-thirds of the caramel. Reserve the rest for later. A piping bag or spoon works fine.
- Pipe PB Pastry Cream: Pipe or spoon enough PB pastry cream so it slightly overhangs the edges. This helps “glue” the top in place.
- Replace Tops: Gently set the top half on the pastry cream.
- Top with Ganache: Ganache should be thick but pourable (like syrup). Adjust consistency by warming or cooling if needed. Pour or spoon over eclairs.
- Sprinkle Peanuts: Coarsely chop peanuts and sprinkle while the ganache is still soft so they stick.Peanuts
- Refrigerate: Chill eclairs for 15–30 minutes until the ganache sets, ensuring the final caramel drizzle won’t mix into it.
- Finish with Caramel Sauce: Drizzle the remaining caramel over each eclair using a piping bag or tip.
- Serve or Refrigerate.
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