Éclairs with Lavender Filling

This is Sophie. She has worked in the kitchen of our restaurant for a long time and is French. Whenever I return from Paris she always asks me to bring an éclair for her, since what we Dutch have with moorkoppen (a cream puff pastry filled with whipped cream and glazed with dark chocolate) is what the French have with éclairs.

1. In a heavy saucepan, bring 3½ tbsp (50 ml) water, 3½ tbsp (50 ml) milk, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp superfine sugar, and 3 tbsp (40 g) butter to a boil. Add ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour and stir with a wooden spatula until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan.

   

2. Remove from the heat and, bit by bit, stir in 2 beaten eggs. You may not need all the egg, says Sophie; once the mixture resembles the texture of thick béchamel, it’s ready.

   

3. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag. (Use a pitcher to support the bag so you won’t need an extra hand.)

   

4. Pipe “sausages” 5 to 6 inches (12 to 15 cm) long on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, using a wet finger to round the tips. Bake the pastries at 350°F (180°C) for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Turn off the oven and leave the pastries in it to cool.

   

5. Combine 1¼ cups (300 ml) milk with 3 tbsp (35 g) sugar, 1 split vanilla bean, and 1½ tsp lavender flowers in a small saucepan over low heat. Let the mixture steep for 15 minutes over low heat. Strain and discard the lavender.

   

6. Whisk 3 egg yolks with 3 tbsp (35 g) sugar in a bowl until foamy, add ¼ cup (35 g) cornstarch, and stir until smooth. Stirring constantly, pour in the infused milk. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until it thickens to the consistency of thick yogurt.

   

7. Stir in 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter in chunks. Pour the crème patissière into a pastry bag and let it cool.

   

8. Make a small hole with a knife at one end of each pastry and pipe pastry cream into each.

   

9. Sift 1 cup (100 g) confectioners’ sugar into a bowl and stir in 1 tbsp water or milk to make a smooth glaze; add food coloring if you wish. The glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s too thin, add some confectioners’ sugar; if it’s too thick, add a drop of water. Do it drop by drop, as sometimes 1 drop can be too much—it sounds silly but it’s true, trust me.

   

10. Spread the tops of the filled pastries with the glaze.

    

11. Let the éclairs dry on a rack. Serve them immediately or keep in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to serve.