Impressipe

A sweet twist on an old favourite

Strawberry Cheesecake Eclairs Makes 16, Prep and Cook 1 hour

100g unsalted butter, chopped

1 cup plain flour

4 eggs

1¼ cups White Choc Melts (200g)

Pink liquid food colouring

250g punnet strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced

CHEESECAKE FILLING

250g block cream cheese, chopped, at room temperature

¼ cup icing sugar mixture 300ml tub thickened cream ½ cup strawberry jam

1 Grease and line two large oven trays with baking paper.

2 Heat butter and 1 cup water in a large saucepan over a medium heat, stirring until butter is melted. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add flour all at once. Vigorously stir with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball.

3 Return pan to a low heat. Stir for 2 minutes. Place hot dough in a small bowl of an electric mixer. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Keep beating until smooth and glossy.

4 Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 2cm plain nozzle. Pipe 10cm lengths, 5cm apart, on prepared trays. Gently brush water over tops.

5 Cook in a very hot oven (220C) for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. Remove. Cool on trays for 5 minutes. Using kitchen scissors, cut eclairs in half lengthways. Using your fingers, carefully remove any soft dough from inside.

6 Place halves, cut-side up, on trays. Return to very hot oven for a further 3 minutes, or until crisp and dry. Cool on trays.

7 Heat chocolate in a medium, heatproof bowl sitting over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until melted. Remove. Tint pale pink. Dip each eclair top into chocolate. Stand until set.

8 To make filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cream. Beat until firm peaks form. Gently fold in jam. Refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour.

9 To assemble, divide half the strawberries over base of eclairs. Spoon filling into a clean piping bag fitted with a 2cm plain nozzle. Pipe over strawberries. Top with remaining strawberries. Replace tops.