Lemon Raspberry Éclairs (Printable)
Delicate choux pastry filled with tangy lemon cream and fresh raspberries, topped with a light lemon glaze.
# What You Need:
→ Choux Pastry
01 - 1/2 cup water
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
04 - 1 tbsp granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 tsp salt
06 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs
→ Lemon Cream Filling
08 - 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 1 tbsp lemon zest
10 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
11 - 3 large eggs
12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
13 - 1 cup heavy cream, cold
→ Assembly
14 - 1 cup fresh raspberries
→ Lemon Glaze
15 - 1 cup powdered sugar
16 - 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
17 - 1 tsp lemon zest
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
03 - Remove from heat and stir in flour all at once. Return to heat and cook, stirring vigorously, until dough forms a ball and pulls away from sides, about 2 minutes.
04 - Transfer dough to a mixing bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until dough is smooth and glossy.
05 - Spoon dough into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 4-inch strips onto prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
06 - Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool completely on a wire rack.
07 - Whisk together lemon juice, zest, sugar, and eggs in a heatproof bowl. Set over a simmering pot of water, whisking constantly until thickened, about 8 minutes.
08 - Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Chill until cold. Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks, then gently fold into chilled lemon curd to create a light mousse.
09 - Slice cooled éclairs in half horizontally. Pipe or spoon lemon cream onto bottom halves. Add fresh raspberries, then cover with top halves.
10 - Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest until smooth and pourable. Spread or drizzle over tops of éclairs.
11 - Chill éclairs for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow filling to set properly.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The lemon cream filling is impossibly light, like eating a cloud that happens to taste like sunshine and summer
- Fresh raspberries burst between pastry layers, creating this perfect sweet tart moment that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite
02 -
- Don't open the oven during the first 20 minutes of baking or your éclairs might collapse and never recover their puff
- The lemon curd must be completely cold before folding in whipped cream, or you'll end up with a sad, separated mess instead of mousse
03 -
- Use a kitchen scale for the flour if you possibly can, because measuring by volume can throw off the ratio enough to affect the pastry's ability to puff
- Room temperature ingredients incorporate more smoothly into both the pastry dough and the lemon curd base, so plan ahead and set everything out about an hour before you start