Classic Chocolate Glazed Éclair

Do you love pastries?  My family is definitely a huge fan of pastries!  We love all sorts of pastries, ranging from doughnuts, cupcakes, to scones and cookies.  However, among all these pastries, éclairs is probably on top of our list of favorite pastries. 



This classic éclair recipe consists of the basic Choux Pastry, which is similar to the cream puff shells.  I filled them with the decadent classic vanilla bean pastry cream.  The pastry cream is slightly sweetened so that you can truly taste the sweet aroma of the vanilla bean.  I then top these éclairs with a simple dark chocolate glaze that brings a hint of bitterness to compliment the pastry cream beautifully.   You can also use milk chocolate for the glaze as well if that’s what you prefer.  My kids love dark chocolate (I guess that runs in the family), so that’s pretty much my default preference. 




I love that you can see all the little specks of vanilla bean seeds throughout the pastry cream inside (see picture below).  Isn’t it gorgeous?  I’m telling you, they tasted even more amazing than their look!  If you haven’t done so, please check out the video tutorial at the top of the post.  It’s definitely easier to prepare than they look!  I’ll list the ingredients and tools used in this recipe at the end of the post for your convenience.


 
I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and tutorial.  Stay tuned for more fun and scrumptious recipe next week!


Ingredients and Tools used:
Vanilla Bean Paste (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Horizon Organic Heavy Whipping Cream (Click here for more information)
Kerrygold Butter (Click here for more information)
Corn Starch (Click here for more information)
Pastry Bag  (Click here for more information)
Ateco Large Round Pastry Tip (Click here for more information)
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Silpat (Click here for more information)
Measuring Cup (Click here for more information) 

Mini Bunny Vanilla Bean Doughnuts 小兔子雲呢拿甜甜圈

Looking for after school snack recipes that are cute and easy?  You’re going to love today’s recipe and video tutorial!  Check out these Mini Bunny Vanilla Bean Doughnuts (小兔子雲呢拿甜甜圈)!  They are packed with cuteness and awesome vanilla bean aromas.



Instead of the traditional deep-fried method, these mini doughnuts are baked in a mini doughnut pan (I’ll list the tools at the end of this post for your reference).  Therefore, they are a little bit healthier and easier to prepare.  You don’t have to deal with kneading a yeasty dough nor deep frying in a big pot of hot oil.  Phew…. 



Since these doughnuts are baked rather than fried, the texture is more comparable to cakes or cupcakes, which is quite different than a traditional doughnut.  Nevertheless, these doughnuts are still light and fluffy.  Thanks to the vanilla bean paste that is added to the batter, you can definitely taste the vanilla bean flavor.  I love that these doughnuts are in mini sizes too.  Not only they are cuter that way, they are perfect for portion control too!  



As you can see from my video tutorial above, these bunny doughnuts are quite easy to prepare  Because there’s no machine nor mixer needed.  Plus, it’s super fun to decorate them into bunnies as well.  Just a quick dip in the icing, then draw out the facial expressions that fits your mood. 

These Mini Bunny Doughnuts were a big hit at home!  My kids loved them so much and they requested to have them as breakfast the next day.  What are your kid’s favorite after school snacks?  Tell me in the comment below.  I would love to hear from you.




Tools and ingredients used:
Nonstick Mini Donut Pan (Click here for more information)
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Vanilla Bean Paste (Click here for more information)
Kerrygold Butter (Click here for more information)
Measuring Cup (Click here for more information)


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