Always sieve the flour into the bowl to get as much air into it as possible. This makes for a lighter pastry

I hope you are ready for this month’s theme because we will be covering choux pastry! Are you as excited as I am?! This is probably one of my favorite things to bake, although it has also caused me a lot of frustration. But the important thing is to persist, because mastering choux pastry will open the door to so many incredible desserts. The follow section walks through how to make each of the above components and how to assemble an éclair. Make another half batch of the cooked dough with water, salt, butter and flour (with no eggs!). Once you’ve made that part of the dough by cooking it in a saucepan and you have the right consistency, let it cool down (covered). Add the cooled down dough to the runny dough a bit at a time, mixing it into the dough well, until you get the right, pipeable consistency. It always works like a charm! Removed them from the oven too early, or too much moisture in the shells? Weight the ingredients. Cups and measuring spoons are not as prices as a kitchen scale, and the slightest difference can make or break the pastries. Stabilising whipped cream means giving it additional structure so it doesn’t completely squirt out of the éclair when you take a bite (because don’t you just hate that!?), as well as improving storage life. You know how cream weeps and deflates overnight? If it’s stabilised, it won’t and will stay like it’s freshly made for a couple of days.Stabilised cream can be kept in an airtight container or piping bag for 48 hours. It will be fluffy just like freshly made (even inside the choux pastry) for this length of time. Filled éclairs start to lose crispiness after about 30 minutes once filled with cream. The choux pastry doesn’t go soggy, it’s just that the surface is not as crispy as when it is freshly made. (See 3rd point below for storage).

You know, I consider it my job to tell you why your life will not be complete without trying each and every recipe I share. Eggs– Using a wooden spoon, mix the eggs in one at a time, waiting until each egg is mixed in before adding the next. When you start stirring, the dough will initially look split with the egg but don’t fret! Keep stirring and it will come together.

Allow the edge of the pastry to slide off the rolling pin and into the pie dish, then gently pull the rolling pin out from underneath and the pastry should drop into the pie dish. Press it down firmly and chill for 15 – 20 minutes before adding the pie filling – which should be cold.