A sweet treat from Catherine Fulvio, Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Wicklow

Mini Strawberry and Lemon Éclairs

I loved baking sweet treats as a child and young teen. Making choux pastry was one of my favourites. I loved éclairs more than profiteroles because I could get more cream into them and more chocolate on top! Makes 24 small to medium size.

For the choux pastry

250ml cold water 80g butter pinch of sugar pinch of salt 125g strong flour 4 free-range eggs (about 240g), beaten egg wash, to glaze

For the filling

150ml cream, whipped to soft-peak stage 4 tbsp icing sugar

½ lemon, finely zested 6 to 8 strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

For the topping

100g white chocolate, melted 4 strawberries, sliced, to decorate edible flowers, to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 210°C/fan 190°C/gas 6.

To make the pastry, first bring the water and butter to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add the sugar and salt. Remove from the heat. Sift the flour onto a piece of parchment paper and ‘shoot’ the flour into the water and butter. Return the mixture to the heat and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Beat in a little egg at a time until shiny and smooth, using a wooden spoon first and then a whisk. Once most of the egg is incorporated, the pastry should be soft but retain its shape when piped.

Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a 1 to 1.5- cm plain or star nozzle and pipe 5-cm strips onto the sheets, leaving sufficient space in between for them to rise. Brush the tops with a little egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, depending on size, until the outsides of the éclairs are dry, crisp and golden but the insides are still slightly soft. Turn off the oven, slice down one side of each éclair and return them to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

To make the filling, combine the whipped cream, icing sugar and lemon zest and spoon into a piping bag. When the éclairs are cold, fill them with the cream. Arrange a few slices of strawberry on the edge of each one.

For the topping, fill a disposable piping bag or ziplock bag with the melted chocolate. Snip the end and pipe along the top of each éclair. To serve, place a strawberry slice and an edible flower on each one and enjoy!