Coconut Lime Eclairs Recipe – Pastry Workshop

If there is a flavor I can’t live without (except chocolate, of course), it has to be lime. The aroma and the color of these little green beauties is mesmerizing and completely addictive! I always have them in my fruit bowl so whenever I need a hint of freshness, I slice one lime and release its flavor in the entire kitchen. Lime based drinks or cakes are not strangers of this house either! As long as it has lime, it’s a winner for me! So you can imagine that these coconut lime eclairs made it to the top of my favorite desserts list!

So when I saw Megan’s coconut lime eclairs a while back, i couldn’t stop thinking about them! Like literally couldn’t stop imagining their flavor, along with their zesty, coconutty taste. So with the very first occasion I had, I whipped up a batch of these creamy, delicious little treats. So thank you, Megan, for your inspiring posts – it’s always a pleasure to read your blog and see your gorgeous photography!

I did make a few changes though. One and most noticeable one being the fact that I used a different recipe for the choux pastry. Not that I don’t trust Bouchon Bakery (the recipe Megan used), but I already have a few recipes that I know for sure work pretty well, so I wasn’t willing to try a new one this particular time. Another little change was adding a bit more thickening agent to the cream – I found my first batch to be a bit too runny for my liking, so adding a bit more cornstarch (oh yes, I used cornstarch instead of flour) worked out great and the cream was just incredible! And I’m really not a person to be easily impressed by desserts, but these eclairs proved me that a clever mix of flavors is the key, but without a proper technique and well done elements, the satisfaction is just not the same!

Coconut Lime Eclairs

These coconut lime eclairs use the French way of making pate a choux, but the flavors are far from being the traditional ones. Instead, these eclairs are refreshing and exotic, delicious and creamy!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Cooling time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingrediente

 

Choux pastry:

• 150 g water
• 100 g whole milk
• 100 g butter
• 2 g salt
• 4 g sugar
• 150 g bread flour
• 4-5 eggs

Coconut pastry cream:

• 160 g whole milk
• 300 g coconut cream
• Zest from 1 lime
• 100 g eggs
• 20 g egg yolks
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 35 g cornstarch
• 5 g vanilla extract
• 80 g unsalted butter (at room temperature)

Lime fluid gel:

• 100 g simple syrup
• 80 g fresh lime juice
• 2 g agar agar

You will also need:

• Extra lime zest for decoration
• Coconut flakes for decoration (optional)
• Edible flowers (optional)

Instructiuni

Choux pastry:

• Combine the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan and place over low heat until the butter is melted.
• Once the butter is melted completely, turn the heat on high and bring to a boil.
• The moment it comes to a boil, remove off heat and immediately add the flour, all at once. Mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the flour is well absorbed. Place the saucepan back over medium flame and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, mixing all the time, until a layer of dough remains on the bottom of the pan – keep the flame on medium to avoid burning and mix all the time with the spatula or spoon to cook out the liquid.
• Remove from heat and allow the dough to cool down for 10 minutes.
• Start incorporating the eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition. Add the last egg bit by bit to make sure you’re not adding too much egg. The number of eggs used depends on the humidity of the dough, even on weather and the size of the eggs.
• The dough is ready when it falls off the spoon and leaves a streak that doesn’t collapse on itself if you run your finger through it.
• Spoon the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe small and even eclairs on a baking pan lined with baking paper or a silicone mat.
• Bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 40-50 minutes, depending on the size of your eclairs.
• The eclairs are done when they are golden brown and crusty. Place aside until needed.

Coconut pastry cream:

• Start by heating the whole milk in a saucepan. Add the lime zest then remove off heat and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve then place the milk back on heat. Add the coconut cream as well and bring them to the boiling point.
• In the meantime, mix the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl.
• Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture and mix well. Return back on heat and cook for about 2 minutes until thickened.
• Remove off heat and cool down for a few minutes by whisking it. Add the butter, a spoon at a time, and mix well until incorporated.
• Stir in the vanilla as well.
• Cover with plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate for a few hours.
• Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a small round nozzle.

Lime fluid gel:

• Combine the ingredients in a saucepan and place over low heat.
• Bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds.
• Remove off heat and cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for a few hours.
• When set, place in a blender and pulse until smooth. Spoon the gel into a pastry bag or a sauce bottle and refrigerate.

To assemble the eclairs:

• Using a small round nozzle, make 2-3 holes on the bottom of each eclair then fill the eclairs with coconut pastry cream. Place them on a platter.
• Decorate the eclairs with drops of coconut cream, lime fluid gel and lime zest or coconut flakes. Edible flowers can really make an impression if you have them on hand!
• Enjoy!

Notes

Coconut cream is the thick part found in a coconut milk can once you remove it from the fridge and open it, it’s the white, thick, fatty part that tastes heavenly and has a silky, smooth consistency.

Simple syrup is made of a mix of 50/50 water and sugar, brought to a boil briefly.

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