Vegan Eclairs

Vegan Eclairs

When you think back at bakery items that you can see shining threw the case back at you while your trying to decide which yummy confection to choose, you will usually picture Eclairs along with the other goodies. Eclairs are a very decadent and indulgent treat, topped with chocolate ganache and filled with pastry cream atop a airy shell. This recipe gives you the same great look and taste of an eclair without the milk or egg ingredients of its counter-part. With a luscious vegan pastry cream, ganache, and shells it will be a labor of love, but the end results are sinfully delish. Serve chilled out of the fridge with vegan milk or coffee and you have a decadent vegan dessert to savor. Enjoy!

Vegan Eclairs

Ingredients

For the Pastry
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cream of tartar
8 Tablespoon vegan butter
6 tsp The Vegg & 1/2 cup water -The Vegg Mixture (or EnerG egg replacer whipped stiff with warm water)
1 cup water

For the Vegan Pastry Cream
6 Tablespoon cornstarch and 6 Tablespoons cold water (whisked together)
2 cups coconut or vegan milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
The Vegg (1 tsp The Vegg & 1/4 cup hot water)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

For the Vegan Chocolate Ganache
8 oz vegan chocolate, chopped or chips
1/2 cup coconut or vegan milk
1/2 Tablespoons vegan butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon corn syrup 

Pinch salt

Directions

Pastry Cream

(Filling)

In a medium saucepan, heat the pastry cream ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling and mixed with no lumps and completely dissolved. 

Pastry Cream
(Pre-Thickened)

Add the cornstarch mixture and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Once the mixture has thickened and gotten to this point you can add your vegan butter. 

Thickened Pastry Cream

Mix the vegan butter into the mixture and then once done pour the mixture through a strainer back into bowl of large measuring cup to cool. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using. When you go to fill the eclairs, restrain the pastry cream to ensure and even, lump free filling. 

Straining Gadgets

Strain Pastry Cream

Finished Pastry Cream

Pastry

(Vegan Pate A Choux)

Heat the oven to 425 Degrees

In a large saucepan, bring the water, vegan butter, salt and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. 

Butter Mixture
(Pre-Melted)

Butter Mixture Melted

When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, about a minute. 

Eclair Flour Mixture

Mixing Flour into the Butter Mixture

Return to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 to 60 seconds.

Cooking Dough

Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed for a couple minutes until dough cools slightly. 

Mixer Ready

Cooked Dough in Mixer

Mix Dough to Cool

With the mixer running, add The Vegg, a little at a time. Stop mixing after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

The Vegg

Adding The Vegg to Dough

Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and The Vegg is completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall off the spatula as well. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add more The Vegg and mix until incorporated.

Pastry Dough Finished

Finished Dough

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe fat lengths of dough (about the size and shape of a jumbo hot dog) onto the baking sheet, leaving 2 to 3 inches of space between them. You should have 8 to 12, you can choice size and shape you want. (Adjust cooking time accordingly) 

Fitted Pastry Bag with Tip

Egg Wash

Egg Washed & Shaped Eclairs

Brush the surface of each eclair with the The Vegg. Use your fingers to smooth out any bumps of points of dough that remain on the surface. Bake 15 minutes at 425, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet. Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size plain tip or with a spoon, gently pipe the vegan pastry cream into the eclairs, using only just enough to fill the inside (don't stuff them too full).

Ganache

In a small saucepan, heat the all the ganache ingredients over medium heat just until it boils. Immediately turn off the heat once melted. Whisk until melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm. The glaze can be made up to 48 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, and rewarm in a microwave or over hot water when ready to use.

Ganache

Dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm chocolate glaze and set on a sheet pan. Chill, uncovered in the refrigerator, at least a couple hours to set the glaze. Serve the vegan eclairs chilled.

Assembly

The pastry will be like shells to top one end with pastry cream, dunk tops into ganache, and assemble the ganached top onto the other with the pastry cream to make the Vegan Eclair. Continue dunking, topping with cream, and assembling together until finished. You will probably have some pastry cream and chocolate left over, I save them. You can use the ganache as a vegan ice cream topper and you can add bananas to the leftover pastry cream and/pr eat as is. Serve the finished Vegan Eclairs cold. Enjoy!

Dough Shells

Assembled Vegan Eclair

-Amy