LOW-CARB CHOCOLATE ECLAIR DOUGH

1). Heat water, butter and cream

• Pre-heat oven to 350*
• Heat the water, butter, and cream in a shallow, non-stick pan until the butter melts and steam rises. This will take about 8 minutes.
• Reduce heat, add vanilla extract, stir and sprinkle xanthan gum gradually, and whisk vigorously until the mixture thickens to a light cream custard texture.

2). Add the dry ingredients to form a dough

• Add all the dry ingredients, then combine with a wooden spoon. On medium heat, cook the mixture, stirring continuously until a soft dough forms and comes away from the sides of the pan.

3). Whisk the eggs, then add the dough

• As soon as the dough forms, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool down for about 3 minutes before adding the eggs.
• Now, whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add the dough. Whisk everything by hand or with an electric whisk to form a slightly sticky batter. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.

4). Prepare the baking tray

• Cut a piece of parchment paper to the size of your baking tray. Then, draw eight evenly spaced lines on the paper to use as a guide for piping your eclair shells. About 6 inches in length.
• Place the parchment paper on the baking tray with the drawn lines facing down. You should still be able to see the lines on the other side.

5). Pipe the pastry dough

• Transfer the pastry dough mixture into a piping bag. To create éclairs, pipe the dough mixture along each line in one continuous motion, cutting the dough with a knife at the end to start a new line. Use a little pressure while holding the piping bag at a 45-degree angle, ensuring the pastry logs are approximately 1 inch wide and 5 inches long. A round piping tip would help make the right shape for these éclairs.
• Alternatively, you can make profiteroles by holding the piping bag upright and making dollops of pastry dough about 2 inches apart from each other with a little pressure.

6). Bake and cool

• Bake the logs for 30 minutes and the profiteroles for 20 minutes or until golden.
• Cool the 10 mins on the tray, then transfer to a rack to cool down completely.
• While they are cooling, you can prepare the pastry cream and chocolate ganache.

PASTRY CREAM FILLING (SUGAR-FREE)

1). Whisk eggs with sweetener in a bowl, and heat the cream.

• Warm the whipping cream in a saucepan until bubbles form, but avoid boiling it. If the cream is too hot, the eggs will scramble during the tempering process.
• Whisk the egg yolks and sweetener together in a medium-sized bowl.

2). Pour warm cream into yolks and sweetener

• Gradually pour the warm cream into the bowl with the eggs to temper them. This step stabilizes the eggs and helps them mix with hot liquid, creating a silky smooth texture.
• Whisk both together until combined smoothly.

3). Combine, then return mixture to pan

• Transfer it back into the saucepan and heat on low, whisking by hand continuously, until it thickens slightly, and becomes like runny custard.

4). Remove from heat, add butter, vanilla extract and xanthan gum

• Remove the pan from the heat, add butter & vanilla extract, then stir to melt butter.
• Once the butter is melted an dwhile the pan is hot, gradually sprinkle xanthan gum into the hot cream base and whisk vigorously by hand or with an electric whisk to thicken the cream.
• Once thickened, cool the pastry cream and transfer it into a jug. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until you are ready to fill the pastry shells. The cream will continue to thicken as it cools.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1). Combine chocolate chips and cream

• Make the ganache when you are ready to assemble the eclairs.
• In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate chips and cream in the microwave for 30 seconds. Alternatively, you can warm the mixture in a double boiler by placing the bowl over a pan of hot water.
• Useful Tip: I find it easier to use a rectangular bowl that can be microwaved so that the eclairs can be easily dipped into the chocolate.
• Stir the mixture until smooth and silky in texture. If there are still some visible chips, heat the mixture for another 30 seconds. Then, stir until it becomes fully smooth and silky.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE ECLAIRS

1). Fill the Eclairs

• Transfer the pastry cream into a piping bag with a filling or writing tip. Lay out the cooled eclairs and ganache before you for easy assembly.
• Using a small sharp knife, make 3 small criss-cross cuts on the bottom side of each eclair – one on either side and one in the middle. These holes are where you’ll fill the eclairs with pastry cream.
• Fill the eclairs gently into the holes until a slight bulge appears on the top. In case of overfilling, wipe away the mess. Talk about the filling, using a long kebab stick, cheating, etc, in notes.

2). Dip in Chocolate Ganache

• To make chocolate eclairs, start by dipping each pastry shell into the chocolate ganache, top side down, and then place them on a rack or parchment paper, bottom side down.
• If the ganache cools down, heat it again in 30-second increments.
• Refrigerate the eclairs until the chocolate is hardened for the best experience. They can be eaten on the same day or stored for a few days, but I recommend eating them cold or slightly bringing them to room temperature before serving.

Nutritional Information*

• Serving size: 1 Eclair Carbs: 14.1g Fibre: 9.5g Net Carbs: 4.6g