Eclairs with cottage cheese filling

Ingredients:

Eclairs

• 80 g butter
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tbsp. bakery flour with a high gluten content of 12-14%
• 4 large eggs
• Special equipment: a pastry bag with a large star tip and a small filling tip

Cream

• 150 g cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
• 1.5 cups heavy cream 33%

Chocolate glaze

• 250 gr. chocolate, chopped or granulated
• 5 tbsp (75 g) butter
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Fondant icing

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Choux pastryIn a large saucepan, bring the butter, salt, and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon, adding the flour in three additions. Break up any lumps against the sides of the pan.
   
   Cook the mixture for about 2 minutes, until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
3. Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then beat it on low speed to release the steam. Add the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth and pliable, but still holds its shape.
4. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Pipe 4 tiny dollops of dough into the corners of the baking sheet and line the top with parchment paper. Pipe 12-cm-long éclairs, spaced 5 cm apart, from the bag.
5. Bake for 20–25 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the éclairs are bright golden brown and crisp inside. Cool.
6. CreamIn the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla seeds until smooth. Add the heavy cream and continue beating until medium peaks form. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip.
7. Chocolate glazeMeanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until completely melted. In a small bowl, whisk together the corn syrup and cocoa powder and pour, stirring, into the chocolate mixture. Set aside, but do not refrigerate.
8. Fondant icingIn a bowl over a double boiler, combine the powdered sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat and stir until smooth. Then turn off the heat and leave the fudge in the double boiler. Stir well with a whisk before using.
9. Fill the eclairs with cream, inserting the tip of a pastry bag into the end or bottom of the eclairs. Cover the eclairs with chocolate and fondant icing and place them on a wire rack to set.