Welcome to Mint Chocolate Chip Éclairs. Yeah, this pastry is just what is needed when I want “a little somethin’ sweet.” I know that moment when I just want a bite of something fresh after a family barbecue that included steak with caramelized onions and mushrooms on top and sprinkled with blue cheese crumble is sitting heavy in my stomach, and my mouth wants something a little fresh, a little minty — and a lot delicious.
This recipe is also introduces a fun little product review. Don’t act like you don’t love them. I have secretly watched makeup tutorials with product reviews plenty of times. It’s addicting. Don’t even get me started. When I flip through the channels and finding the Home Shopping Network and I pause in jaw dropping amazement: Can that plastic bowl really chop all my onions with just a pull of a string!?! And it comes in three custom colors of my choosing!?!
Okay, this is not that kind of review, I’m not trying to sell you anything, but my friend who sells Bon Cook sent me this éclair tray to see how I liked it. I tested it with my favorite pastry dough recipe a few weeks back and I’ve got to say, I was pretty impressed. The éclairs baked on the bon COOK cooked faster, were more evenly golden, and prettier. That’s a big win for me, especially when I have an obsession for taking pictures of food that rivals Jonathan Beyers obsession for taking pictures of Demogorgon’s.
Yes, we re-binge-watched Stranger Things this weekend and my mind is anxiously waiting for October like you wouldn’t believe. Can it please be cold, rainy, and rosemary everything yet? I’ve reached my summer limit and just in time. August is killing me! Give me that foggy morning, cinnamon latte feeling.
Alright, alright, but summer isn’t THAT bad when you get to hang with friends and family in the backyard with the barbecue rolling, the dog barking, and the feeling of timelessness since the sun is out FOR-EVER. That’s really what I love about summer. No good reason needed to get together and cook and eat. You need no holiday to manufacture a gathering. You just do it — you go, you get together, and bring a side.
This is why I think it’s kinda cute that Bon Cook’s motto is “cook to gather, gather to cook.” There is really nothing better than being together in the kitchen with the ones you love. Eating together. Having a meal where everyone contributes.
Listen up, friends!
And even better is that if you decide to buy this product or anything from the Bon Cook catalogue, Lauren has offered to donate the profit from any sales resulting from this post for the rest of this month towards diabetes research to the JDRF. I mean, HELLO! curing Type One diabetes one éclair at a time. That’s a very real thing.
Okay! I think that covers everything. I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your week! On Monday, here in Oregon, we get a nice, perfect view of the total solar eclipse. The nerd in me is VERY excited about it and the introvert in me is VERY nervous about the amount of people in my home town. Hermit status: Stage 11.
Mint Chocolate Chip Éclairs
These Mint Chocolate Chip Éclairs are perfect for any season and have just the right amount of sweetness to make anyone happy.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 servings
Ingredients
|| Pastry ||
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
Pinch of salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
|| Mint Whipped Cream ||
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh mint, packed
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
melting chocolate for drizzling
Instructions
|| Pastry || Melt the water and butter together and add the pinch of salt. Add in the flour all at once and stir continuously over medium heat. Cook until it starts to form a ball and come together. Continue to cook from for another 5 minutes.
Remove dough from heat and cool for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Stir in eggs into the dough one at a time until combined and place the mixture in a pastry bag. Pipe mixture into 4-inch long oblong shapes. Éclairs will expand in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until tops are dry. Cool to room temperature.
|| Mint Whipped Cream || Place the water, sugar and mint in a small bowl and simmer together, and reduced by half to create a simple syrup. This should take a half an hour. Remove from heat, and discard mint leaves. Cool the mint simple syrup to room temperature. Whip the cream until soft peaks form and add in 1/4 cup of the mint simple syrup. Mix. Continuing mixing in the simple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time until the minty whipped cream tastes good to you. Continue to whip until the whipped cream is stable yet still creamy.
At this point you can either fold in the chocolate chips or reserve them to place into the pastry.
Cut the cooled éclairs in half horizontally and pipe the mint whipped cream on the bottom half. Add chocolate chips if you didn’t fold them into the whipped cream. Place the top half of éclair on top of the whipped cream, drizzle with melted chocolate, and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
I found it helpful to err on overcooking the dough in the first step to remove the moisture rather than undercooking which will cause the pastry to fall.
I also found it helpful to use a bon COOK pan when baking for an even golden color.
Keywords: cream puffs, eclairs, mint, pastry
