Sweet November
Welcome to November!
Have you missed me? I feel like this has become my go-to phrase in every post since I don’t write too often these days. And I always have the same excuse: I’m busy with my patients, and I’m busy taking care of my health needs (and I move slowly now, like an injured ballerina, so everything takes twice as long to complete). Plus, after I’m done with patients, I do not want to process any more human words, neither spoken ones, nor in writing. I’m okay with little dog barks though.
So, are you ready for a true Scorpio season? Not the wishy washy, Libra-diluted October Scorps period. November is for legendary Scorpios! Like myself. 😊
Every year around Valentine’s Day I do a nationwide PSA that if you conceive a child in February, they’ll be a Scorpio. So keep your pants zipped up if you’re not ready to deal with a little devil. If you failed at February abstinence task, too late to cry and lament now. Get ready to celebrate your baby’s arrival party.
I was actually not a Valentine’s romp baby. I was supposed to be born in January, not November. Yes, I rushed (because Earth is such a wonderful place to exist on, so no minute should be wasted!). I was most likely an Easter baby. Talk about resurrection! I’m still trying to revive myself on planet Doom.
Anyway, are you ready to celebrate my birthday month? That means we have to eat cake. Lots of it! Every year I’m in charge of my own birthday dessert. Because nobody wants to bother with gluten free cakes. Bastards! I tried some store-bought cakes a few times, but the family gave them big thumbs down as mine were apparently better, so I’m now stuck making my own dessert forever. And, since it’s November already, I thought I might as well start all my sweet indulgences now. Consider it a rehearsal for the real birthday bash later in the month.
Join me in making some delectable gluten free strawberry eclairs and celebrating my birthday in a couple weeks!
And another PSA for this weekend.
What’s Cooking This Week
We got delicious gluten free strawberry eclairs with white chocolate glaze today. Eclairs only seem intimidating, but in reality choux pastry is quite simple. Just make sure to beat it well, pipe and don’t open the oven while it’s baking. Traditionally eclairs are made with custard cream, but I’m not a big fan of it, so my recipe uses crème fraiche buttercream and strawberry jam. You can substitute white chocolate for dark one in the glaze recipe if you prefer, but I’d encourage you to try it as it goes really well with strawberries.
Gluten Free Strawberry Eclairs with White Chocolate Glaze
Just a few simple ingredients to make choux pastry dough.
In a saucepan, combine together butter, water and salt, bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and immediately stir in the flour and continue mixing like crazy! Dough will be thick.
Let it cool off a bit and transfer to a standing mixer, then gradually add one egg at a time, mixing on a low speed.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a large opening and pipe eclairs on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 1-2 inches apart.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F degrees for about 30 minutes, size depending, until the tops are golden brown. Immediately make a small hole in each eclair so they don’t deflate. Cool off before piping in the filling.
To make strawberry cream, in a standing mixer, start beating crème fraiche until light and creamy. Add butter and continue beating for 2-3 minutes till fluffy. Add vanilla and strawberry jam and beat to combine. Gradually incorporate powdered sugar until everything is mixed together.
Transfer buttercream to a piping bag. Cut eclairs lengthwise and pipe buttercream into each.
To make white chocolate glaze, in a saucepan placed over a low flame water bath, combine white chocolate chips and butter. Stir continuously until both are melted and incorporated.
Dip the tops of eclairs into glaze and cover buttercream halves. You can decorate with sugar pearls and dried strawberry pieces.
They are the best when freshly made but can still be good after 1-2 days in the fridge. If there are any left.
Choux pastry is light and airy and holds any cream well.
Slightly tart buttercream pairs well with sweet white chocolate.
Hope you’ll enjoy making this recipe and sharing it with others!
Gluten Free Strawberry Eclairs with White Chocolate Glaze
Equipment
- 1 standing mixer
- 2 saucepan
- 3 bowls
- 2 piping bag
- 1 piping tip
Ingredients
- 1 Stick butter, unsalted
- 1 Cup water
- 1 Cup gluten free flour
- 1/4 Tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 6 Oz crème fraiche, softened buttercream
- 1 Stick butter, unsalted, softened buttercream
- 1/2 Cup strawberry jam buttercream
- 2 Cup powdered sugar buttercream
- 1 Tsp vanilla buttercream
- 1 Cup white chocolate chips glaze
- 2 Tbsp butter, unsalted glaze
- sugar pearls optional
- dried strawberry optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine together butter, water and salt, bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in the flour and continue mixing vigorously. Dough will be thick
- Transfer to a standing mixer, gradually add one egg at a time, mixing on a low speed.
- Transfer dough to a piping bag with a large opening and pipe eclairs on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 1-2 inches apart.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until the tops are golden.
- Immediately make a hole in each eclair so they don’t deflate.
- Cool off and cut each lengthwise.
- To make buttercream, in a standing mixer, beat crème fraiche till airy.
- Add butter and cream till light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and strawberry jam and beat to combine.
- Gradually add powdered sugar.
- Transfer buttercream to a piping bag.
- Pipe cream into each eclair.
- To make the glaze, combine butter and white chocolate chips in a pan, placed over a low flame water bath.
- Stir continuously till everything is melted.
- Dip eclairs tops into glaze and cover buttercream halves.
- Decorate with sugar pearls and dried strawberry pieces.