Eclairs but make them dairy free. Then add Biscoff. The result is these homemade biscoff eclairs that are filled with a dairy free biscoff crème patisserie. Perfect as a treat for dessert or even as part of an afternoon tea.
Eclairs were something that never took my fancy for a while – probably as they have a cream based filling. Within the increase of availability of dairy free cream product in recent years, and they fact I got a baking kit a couple of years ago for passionfruit eclairs, I started to think about how many techniques are included when making eclairs.
First there is choux pastry – I make that for chouquettes. Crème patisserie which is a pastry cream made through a custard base. And then caramel made from scratch. Screams of a technical challenge.
I then started to think of a flavour that would pique my interest. Biscoff was the front runner, especially as the caramelised flavour notes in them would pair well with the caramel top. Hence these biscoff eclairs were born made with a dairy free crème patisserie.
Star Ingredient
As these are dairy free eclairs, the stars must be the ingredients that make them dairy free. Any dairy free milk can be used within the choux pastry. I tend to use soya, almond or oat when I am baking.
There are options now when it comes to dairy free cream. Arla produces a lacto free cream. This what when I started baking with. It is a single cream, but it can be whipped up. This means it can be used in recipes that require double cream.
Elmlea also do a plant double cream. As the plant cream is already a double consistency, it can save the step.
I have baked with both. Both work well. The plant double cream works really well if you are wanting to make up ganache for crumb coating cakes.
How to Purchase Ingredients to be Conscious to the Planet
If you choose to use oat milk within your choux pastry, you can order to have it delivered to your door in a glass bottle. Milk and More, supplies Oato which comes in glass bottles which they then collect so that they can go back into circulation once cleaned.
I am still waiting for a dairy free cream to be come in a glass bottle, so until then I recycle the container they come in as best as possible.
Flours and sugars can easily be found in zero waste shops. If you buy from supermarkets, ensure that you recycle the packaging once fully empty.
You can find recipes online for making your own biscoff biscuits and spread which saves on the biscuit packaging.
Experiment You Will Need
- Baking Parchment Paper
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Baking Sheet
- Sieve
- Saucepan
- Wooden Spoon
- Large Plate
- Skewer
- Cooling Rack
- Large Bowl
- Small Bowl
- Freestanding Mixer or Hand Held Mixer
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Tongs (optional)
- Piping Nozzles – 1 Large Round (1/2-inch diameter), 1 small Star, 1 Filling Nozzles
- Piping Bags
Tips When Making Biscoff Eclairs
Size of your piping nozzle
You haven’t got a ½ inch diameter round nozzle, you can always use a smaller one, but your eclairs will be smaller. if they are smaller, you may get an extra one or two éclairs from the mix. If you have smaller eclairs, you will have less filling in them as well.
Working with Caramel
Caramel is hot! So, you may prefer to use tongs when dipping your eclairs in to it. I personally feel that I have more control with my hands but it is my preference to dip my hand. If you choose to do this way, be very careful.
Overwhipped Lacto Free Cream
If you use Alra lacto free cream and accidentally over whip it – to whipped cream – don’t panic. As you heat it with the milk it will relax back down. It won’t make a difference to the overall crème patisserie.
Chilling your Crème Patisserie
Most recipes will tell you to pop cling film touching the crème patisserie before popping in the fridge. When I have made crème patisserie, I have used either a silicone bowl cover or reusable fabric bowl cover. I haven’t yet had a skin form, and these save you using cling film.
Filling Your Eclairs
I find it can be easier if you widen the steam holes slightly. It makes it easier to fit the filling nozzle in. If you have a spare pair of hands, it can help if they hold your eclairs so that you can fully control the piping bag. I will never turn down some help when it comes to filling eclairs.
Extra Meringues
The recipes will make more meringues that you need so think of ways you can use them up. If you make them all small, you could use them up in an Eton mess. Alternatively, once you have piping as many small meringues as you need to decorate, you could then make small nests with the rest. You could then top with any spare crème patisserie and fresh fruit to make up a quick dessert.
Biscoff Eclairs
Equipment
- Baking Parchment Paper
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Baking Sheet
- Sieve
- Saucepan
- Wooden Spoon
- Large Plate
- Skewer
- Cooling rack
- Large Bowl
- Small Bowl
- Freestanding Mixer or Hand Held Mixer
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Tongs (optional)
- Piping Nozzles – 1 Large Round (1/2-inch diameter), 1 small Star, 1 Filling Nozzles
- Piping Bags
Ingredients
Choux Pastry
- 90 g Plain Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Caster Sugar
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 65 ml Dairy Free Milk
- 55 g Plant Based Butter
- 2 Large Eggs beaten
Meringue Kisses
- 1 Large Egg White
- 60 g Caster Sugar
Biscoff Crème Patisserie
- 3 Large Egg Yolks
- 50 g Caster Sugar
- 35 g Plain Flour
- 125 ml Dairy Free Milk
- 125 g Dairy Free Double Cream
- 20 g Plant Based Butter
- 100 g Biscoff Spread
Caramel
- 200 g Caster Sugar
To Decorate
- 1 – 2 Biscoff Biscuits
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees/180 degrees fan
- On baking parchment paper, draw 10 12cm lines spaced apart. Flip over the paper and pop onto the baking sheet
- Sift the flour, sugar and salt together to some parchment paper
- Add the milk, butter and 65ml of water into the saucepan
- Gently melt over a medium heat – until the butter has melted but the water has not boiled
- Once the butter has melted, bring the mixture to a boil, then tip in the flour mixture
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, and beat with a wooden spoon until it comes together as a ball
- Return the pan to heat, on low stir for 4 minutes to dry out the choux pastry – the sides of the pan will be left clean when ready
- Tip the pastry out onto a plate and spread out to help it to cool down
- When just warm scrape the choux pastry into a bowl, and add in the beaten eggs a little at a time beating well after each addition – can be down with freestanding mixer or hand held mixer
- Fill a piping bag fitted with the large round nozzle, with the choux pastry
- Slowly pipe along the drawn pencil lines to create 10 thick eclairs – try and stay as straight as possible
- Bake for 30 minutes in the oven, until golden brown and crisp
- Remove from the oven, and using a skewer pierce a hole in both ends of each éclair
- Return the eclairs to the oven for 5 minutes to dry out
- Remove the eclairs from the oven and transfer onto the cooling rack to cool completely
- Turn the oven temperature down to 120 degrees /100 degrees fan
- Reline the baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- In a clean bowl, whisk up the egg whites until small bubbles form, then increase the speed to medium and whisk until white and foamy
- With the speed on high, add the caster sugar 1 teaspoon at a time whisking until fully incorporated before adding more
- Continue whisk until all sugar added and meringue is very stiff and glossy
- Spoon the meringue mixture into a piping bag with the small star nozzle, and pipe small kisses on the baking sheet
- Bake the meringue in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, until they easily peel of the baking sheet
- Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in the oven to dry out further until needed
- In a clean bowl, whisk together the egg yollks and caster sugar for the crème patisserie by hand
- Whisk in the flour to create a smooth paste
- Add the milk and cream into a clean saucepan, warm until it just starts to simmer
- Slowly pour the warm milk mixture in the egg mixture, whisking continuously until combined
- Pour the mixture back into the pan and whisk continuously over a medium heat, until smooth and thick (3-5 minutes)
- Remove the crème patisserie from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl using a spatula
- Add in the butter and stir until melted and fully incorporated
- Stir through the biscoff spread until fully combined
- Cover with a bowl cover and pop into the fridge to chill
- Tip the sugar for the caramel into a saucepan and place over medium heat
- Once it starts to melt, swirl the pan so the sugar melts completely
- Continue to cook until the caramel has turned an even amber colour
- Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 2 minutes
- Dip your eclairs into the caramel to coat the top surface, allow any excess to drip off, replace onto the cooling rack to set
- Repeat until all eclairs are coated, leave until the caramel has completed set before filling and decorating
- Spoon the crème patisserie into a piping bag fitted with the filling nozzle
- Pipe crème patisserie into the stream holes on each éclair – when filling the second hole, stop once some crème patisseries starts to appear from the other hole
- Pipe small dots of crème patisserie onto the caramel and then add on some meringues
- Chop up the biscoff biscuits so you have small pieces
- Add on more crème patisserie dots so that you can stick on your biscuits
Based on the passionfruit eclairs from The Bake Off Box.
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