CARAMEL, WHITE CHOCOLATE & SESAME ECLAIRS

MAKES 20 ECLAIRS

60g unsalted butter

3/4 cup (225g) plain flour 4 eggs 400ml creme fraiche 180g white chocolate, melted, cooled completely 1/4 cup (35g) each white and black sesame seeds 1/ 2 cup (110g) caster sugar 600g dulce de leche

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Grease 2 baking trays and line with baking paper.

To make the choux pastry, place butter and 3/4 cup (180ml) water in a saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until flour mixture comes away from side of pan. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Lightly beat last egg in a bowl and add, 1 tsp at a time, until choux pastry is smooth and glossy with a thick dropping consistency. Transfer choux pastry to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain nozzle and pipe 9cm lengths of pastry onto prepared trays 3cm apart.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove and cut a slit in eclairs to release steam. Return to oven for a further 5 minutes to dry out the inside slightly. Stand to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk creme fraiche to medium-firm peaks. Whisk in chocolate until combined and chill until needed.

To make the sesame praline, line a baking tray with baking paper and scatter with sesame seeds and 1/ 2 tsp salt flakes. Place sugar and 2 tbs water in a frypan over medium-high heat and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer and simmer, without stirring, until light golden. Working quickly, pour caramel over sesame seeds, tilting tray to cover the seeds. Set aside to cool completely, then transfer praline to a mortar and pestle and finely crush.

Combine 250g dulce de leche and 1 tbs water in a bowl. Spoon some dulce de leche mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain nozzle. Spoon some white chocolate creme fraiche into bag (you may need to fill in batches depending on size of bag). Using a serrated knife, halve eclairs horizontally and pipe filling into bottom halves. Spread remaining 350g dulce de leche over top of top halves. Sandwich together eclair halves and scatter with crushed praline.