PARSHA DESSERT: Parshas Ve'etchanan

One of the highlights of this weeks parsha is that the 'Shma' makes an appearance!

In Shma we learn to write the 'Shma' and put them in Mezuzot for our door frames. 'Uchtavtam al Mezuzot Beitechem'.

This weeks dessert is a Mezuzah shaped eclair. Yummy Choux Pastry filled with the most delicious pastry cream. Topped with a Chocolate ganache....

You can fill the Eclairs with whipped Riches whip or even home made parev custard. But if you do choose to fill with the pastry cream, start this recipe with the cream first. This is because the cream needs time to cool and set in the fridge.

Eclairs Recipe:

1 cup flour

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup margerine

1 cup water

3 Jumbo eggs (the biggest size eggs)

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 200C (400F)

1. In a saucepan, place water and margarine over medium high heat. Melt the margarine and let get to boiling point. remove from heat.

2. Mix the sugar, salt and flour together and add all together to the water/margarine mixture.

3. Using a wooden spoon mix all together. It will look lumpy...

4. Add back to the heat (medium high) and keep mixing with a wooden spoon. It will start forming into a ball. Carry on mixing until you see that the mixture starts to stick to the bottom and sides of the pan.

5. Put the dough in the bowl of an electric mixer (you can to this by hand if you want). With a k-beater/paddle attachment, mix on high. This is to cool the dough. after about a minute the dough should feel only warm to the touch.

6. With the mixer still going slightly beat the eggs and add them slowly to the dough mixture. It will first separate and then form into a smooth 'batter'.

7. Place the dough in a pastry bag. On a baking sheet pipe out oblong shapes (about 10cm long). This recipe should yield about 24.

Place in middle rack in oven. Bake for 15 minutes on 200C (400F) then bring the temperature down to 180C(350 F) for another 20-25 minutes (they will be a gorgeous golden brown on the outside and hollow on the inside)

let them cool and then cut them open.

Pastry Cream recipe:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rice milk (or any parev milk)

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

4 Tbls flour

3 1/2 Tbls corn starch

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. In a Bowl mix the eggs and sugar. Add the four and corn starch and whisk into a smooth paste.

2. In a sauce pan heat the rice milk to boiling point. take off heat.

3. Pour milk into the paste and whisk non stop. This is to prevent the egg from curdling.

4. Pour this back into the sauce pan and put back on the heat (medium high). Keep whisking non stop.

5. The mixture will start thickening.

6. After about a minute it should be thick enough. It should be a custard consistency.

7. Remove from heat, add vanilla essence and whisk some more (your arm is more than likely falling off at this point...)

8. Pour into a dish and cover immediately with cling wrap directly onto the cream. This is to prevent a crust from forming.

9. Allow to cool and place in Fridge.

Chocolate gnache Recipe

3/4 cup Riches whip

150 grams chocolate

1 1/2 Tbls syrup

Method:

1. Heat cream till boiling

2. Add the chocolate chips/chunks and mix till melted

3. Add the syrup and mix.

4. Set aside for 5 minutes to firm up a bit before using.

To Assemble:

Put the pastry cream in a piping bag. Cut Eclairs in half and pipe the pastry cream into the bottom half. dip the top of the top half into the chocolate Ganache
(I dipped it in twice to get a thicker chocolate layer) and place back onto the bottom half.