Elderflower & meringue eclairs

These stunning choux pastry eclairs have a delicate floral filling and pretty pastel glaze – an extra special afternoon tea treat

  • Prep:1 hrs 45 mins
    Cook:50 mins
    plus 3 hours chilling
  • A challenge

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 454
  • fat 26g
  • saturates 15g
  • carbs 50g
  • sugars 40g
  • fibre 0g
  • protein 4g
  • salt 0.3g

Ingredients

  • 1 quantity eclairs and crème pâtissière recipe - see link in method
  • 4 tbsp elderflower cordial
  • 600g fondant icing sugar
  • green food colouring
  • blue food colouring
  • 600ml double cream
  • 4 tbsp icing sugar
  • mini meringues, to decorate (available from Waitrose)
  • sugar pearls, to decorate

Tip

To serve

The eclairs will look best served as soon as possible after assembling, but will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

Method

  1. Make the eclairs and crème pâtissière using our classic recipe.

  2. Mix 2 tbsp elderflower cordial with the fondant icing sugar and add enough water to make a thick but drizzly icing. Add a drop each of green and blue food colouring and mix. Cover with cling film. 

  3. Pour 2 tbsp elderflower cordial, the double cream and icing sugar into a bowl, whisk to stiff peaks, then fold through the crème pâtissière. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe generous blobs over the base of each eclair, then crumble over a few mini meringues.

  4. Spread the glaze over the top half of the split éclairs. Position on top of the cream. After every four or five eclairs, decorate the tops while the icing is still wet; I used mini meringues and sugar pearls.For more help, see our how to make choux pastry and eclairs video. 

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