Chocolate Eclair - Vegan & Gluten Free

In case you didn't know, National Chocolate Eclair Day was June 22.

If you missed out because of food allergies or a vegan lifestyle, go on and celebrate a little late - try this vegan and common allergen-free recipe.

Our Chef Benita has developed this eclair recipe, created with gluten free pate choux and chocolate pastry cream made with Amore di Mona Gourmet Dark Chocolate.

Instead of a raising agent, Pate Choux dough employs a high moisture content to create steam during the baking to "puff" the pastry and create the cavernous center which will be filled with pastry cream.

Pastry cream - silky, creamy, and outrageously decadent, can be used as a filling for cakes, pies, cream puffs, eclairs (of course), or even eaten by the spoonful if that's your mood.

Top the eclair with chocolate icing, and whatever accoutrements you find most enticing.

Pate Choux

Ingredients:

• ½ cup white rice flour

• ¼ cup millet flour

• ¼ cup tapioca flour

• 2 tsp sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp oil

• 5 tbsp aquafaba whipped to stiff

• Pinch of cream of tartar

• 1 cup nondairy milk (hemp)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Prepare aquafaba on the side. (add pinch of cream of tartar)

3. Sift flour, sugar, salt. Baking powder into a bowl.

4. Bring milk and oil to a boil.

5. Add the flour mixture to the boiling milk, set on low.

6. Keep stiring the flour until it fold into a ball and separates from the sides. *it’s best to use a thick, solid spoon, the dough gets tough to mix* *make sure not to cook flour for more than 3-5 minutes)

7. Remove from heat and stir in aquafaba in a 1/3rd at a time.

8. Shape dough into éclair or cream puff shape, place onto parchment.

9. Bake for 20 minutes.

10. Lower temp to 350 degrees, turn tray and leave in oven for another 15 minutes.

11. Turn off oven, open door slightly. Let pate choux cool for 30 minutes.

12. Place pate choux onto cooling rack, wait another 30 minutes before filling and glazing.

13. Melt 3 ounces of Amore di Mona dark chocolate in the microwave for topping, drizzling, or dipping.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 cups hemp milk (nondairy milk)

• 1/3 cup sugar

• ½ tsp vanilla

• 1/8 cup safflower oil

• ¼ cup tapioca starch

• ¼ cup cocoa powder

• 4 ounces Amore di Mona dark chocolate (finely chopped)

Method:

1. Mix tapioca starch, cocoa powder and ¼ cup of hemp milk together to create a paste.

2. Pour the rest of the hemp milk into a sauce pan with the sugar, vanilla and oil. Bring to a simmer.

3. Add paste to simmering milk, mix slightly and add chocolate.

4. Mix till combined and thickened.

5. Pour onto a sheet tray lined with plastic wrap and let cool for at least one hour.*

*or pour into whatever container you’ll be eating from and cool*

#Pastry