{Gluten-Free} Chocolate Eclairs

Author: Jackie Ourman (Adapted from ICE Curriculum)
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 1 hour 15 mins  Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 1 hour 45 mins
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• PASTRY DOUGH (Pate A Choux)
• 1 cup water
• 6 T unsalted butter
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup King Arthur gluten-free flour blend
• ¼ tsp xanthan gum
• 5 eggs
• PASTRY CREAM
• 1 pint milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 4 yolk
• 2 T butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• CHOCOLATE SAUCE
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 T sugar
• 1 T agave syrup (or corn syrup)
• 3 oz dark chocolate, chopped (I used Scharffen Berger 67%)
• pinch salt
• ½ tsp vanilla

Instructions
1.   PASTRY DOUGH
2.   Preheat oven to 400 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper
3.   Combine water, butter and salt in a sauce pan ver medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally
4.   As soon as it boils, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour. Use a rubber spatula to stir until smooth
5.   Return pan to fire and continue to stir constantly until the paste dries slightly and begins to stick to the sides of the pan
6.   Transfer the paste to the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment or use a hand mixer and beat on lowest speed to cool the paste slightly, about 30 seconds
7.   Add the eggs, one at a time, until each is absorbed. Scrape the sides, if needed, between additions
8.   Once all of the eggs are added, mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes to ensure they are absorbed (The dough will not be completely smooth. That is ok.)
9.   Use ziploc bag or pastry bag with large star attachment and pipe out the dough in diagonal lines, 1″ wide, 3′ long.
10. Bake at 400 until top begins to rise and brown a little (about 15 minutes), reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake until dough is dry (about 15 minutes more).
11. Allow to cool completely before using a serrated knife to cut dough in half lengthwise and prepare for filling
12. PASTRY CREAM
13. Add milk and sugar to a sauce pan and bring to just boiling
14. In the meantime, whisk eggs together with cornstarch until completely smooth
15. As soon as milk boils, add cornstarch and eggs, whisking continuously until mixture begins to thicken and boil and “craters” begin to form
16. Remove from the fire and whisk in butter and vanilla until fully incorporated
17. Cool completely before using for filling (great to make a day ahead)
18. CHOCOLATE SAUCE
19. Combine the cream, sugar and agave in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring often
20. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Do not whisk but shake pan lightly to submerge chocolate in hot liquid. Let stand 3 minutes.
21. Whisk in salt and vanilla and cool to room temperature before using
22. ASSEMBLING ECLAIRS
23. Use pastry bag with star attachment to generously pipe cooled pastry cream onto the bottom of each eclair
24. Dip tops of eclairs in chocolate sauce and cover pastry cream lightly
Serve and enjoy or refrigerate until serving