Mango and Cream Eclairs

Mango season means Mango and Cream Eclairs! Fill the beautiful pastry shell with fresh ripe mangoes and light whipped cream. Top with either a mango glaze or chocolate glaze. Is it time for dessert yet? 

Mango season always gets me excited! I have at least one mango dessert recipe each year (mango pudding, mango panna cotta, tapioca pearls with mango and chocolate mousse with mango gelee). This year is no exception. I was so thrilled to see Manila/Ataulfo mangoes in Costco. Fresh ripe mangoes should be eaten as they are without cooking. After many thoughts, I decided to go with eclairs.

Eclairs are made with choux pastry, which is the same dough for cream puff or profiterole. Eclairs are in long and like a tube. Puffs are round like a ball. The most important tip for choux pastry is the moisture. If there is too much liquid, the dough won’t rise enough. They would be flat. When the dough is ready, it should be smooth and able to hold it shape at the same time. One thing I learn is check the consistency of the dough before adding the last egg. The dough should hold a “V” shape when lift up with a spatula or paddle attachment. Only add part or whole of the last egg if needed.

For the filling, I have tried both pastry cream and whipped cream. At the end, Bryan and I both agree that whipped cream is much lighter and pair much better with fresh fruit. To make a better whipped cream, I added vanilla paste instead of extract. I love seeing the vanilla seeds all over the whipped cream. If you don’t have vanilla paste, extract sure will work.

Eclairs always look better with a glaze. I made 2 different glaze for these mango eclairs. The mango glaze is super easy. It’s basically just a blend of powdered sugar and fresh mango puree. It’s on the sweet side, but it’s nice to get a little extra mango flavors on the eclairs. The chocolate glaze requires a little more work. Chopping the chocolate and cooking it over a double boiler. But if you love chocolate or want something a little less sweet, this glaze is for you. Both glaze are wonderful tasting, it’s up to your personally preference. Bryan likes the mango glaze more and I prefer chocolate. No fighting. 😀

These mango eclairs can be prepared a few hours ahead. Keep them in the fridge until ready to serve. I have one friendly reminder, these eclairs are messy to eat. They are not exactly finger food. Grab yourself plenty of napkins and a plate! Enjoy!

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Mango and Cream Eclairs

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword chocolate, choux, dessert, eclair, mango, pastry

Servings 28 Small Eclairs

Author Lokness

Ingredients

Choux Pastry:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
• 1 cup water
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water

Éclair Filling:

• 5 ripe Manila mangoes (cut the flesh into ½-inch cubes)

Whipped Cream:

• 3 cups cold heavy whipping cream
• 7 tablespoons sugar
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

Chocolate Glaze (for 18 eclairs):

• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (chop into small pieces)
• 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 ounces heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ounce light corn syrup

Mango Glaze (for 18 eclairs):

• ½ ripe Manila mango (scoop out the flesh)
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Arrange racks in lower and upper thirds of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment papers.
• In a medium bowl, add 3 eggs and whisk together. In another small bowl, add 1 egg and whisk together. Set both aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water and salt. Bring to just a rolling boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to melt the butter. Remove from heat. Add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a flexible spatula. Return to the stove and cook over medium heat. Stir and mash the dough until it comes together and leaves a film on the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on medium-low speed for 2 minutes to cool slightly. Add the beaten eggs in 4 additions. After each addition, the dough will look curdled at first, then it will form back into a soft dough. Scrap down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Check the dough. When it’s ready, the dough should be smooth and pipe-able. When dip the paddle attachment in the dough, some dough will slide back and some should leave behind a “V” shape on the paddle. If the dough is too thick, add half or whole 4th egg if needed.
• Fit a pipping bag with a ½-inch tip and fill the bag with dough. Pipe 14 (3½ x ¾ inches) logs. Repeat with the other baking sheet. To smooth out the sharp tops, push down slightly with a clean and wet finger.
• In a small bowl, whisk together a large egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the top and the side of the dough with egg wash. Gently drag a fork along the top of the logs the long way to make slight indentations (for even expansion).
• Transfer to oven and bake for 12 – 15 minutes until they look puffed. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back for even baking. Lower the oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Bake for another 18 – 20 minutes until the eclairs feel firm when gently squeezed and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, rotating the baking sheets once again after 12 minutes. Once again, lower the oven to 300˚F (150˚C). Bake for 15 more minutes, rotating the baking sheet half way through.
• Transfer the shells to cooking rack and cool completely.
• For the whipped cream, in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add cold heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Beat over high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a pipping bag fitted with a large star tip.
• To assemble, cut the shells in half lengthwise. Pipe the whipped cream inside the bottom half of each shell. Carefully top 3 mango cubes on top of the whipped cream on each shell. Pipe 3 small dots of whipped cream on top of each mango cubes (to keep the top shell in place). Put the top shell back on the éclair. Transfer the eclairs to a large plate or baking sheet. Keep in the fridge.
• Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. In a medium heatproof bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir to melt slightly.
• In a small heatproof bowl, combine heavy cream and salt. Heat in the microwave until warm. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in corn syrup until the glaze is smooth and shiny. Set aside.
• For the mango glaze. Puree the mango flesh in a blender or food processor until smooth. Measure out 4 tablespoons to use. In a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons puree. Whisk until smooth. Add more puree if the glaze is too thick.
• Take the eclairs out of the fridge. Spoon the glaze over the eclairs. Use the back of the spoon to smooth out the top. Return the eclairs to the fridge for 15 minutes to set. Serve within 6 hours.

Notes

1. You can substitute the mango with other fruit, like strawberries and raspberries.
2. Unfilled eclairs can be store in an airtight container for a few days.
3. Each glaze will be enough for about 18 eclairs. If you are only using one glaze for all eclairs, adjust the measurement.

(Choux Pastry Adapted from The Kitchn)

(Chocolate Glaze Adapted from Serious Eats)

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