Summer is here! Raspberry and Lavender Eclairs to start the season in style....

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When thinking about recipes using British and local ingredients, lavender was one of the first ingredients that came to mind. My whole childhood I grew up near Mayfield Lavender field and every summer we would drive past it and I could always pick up the beautiful aroma of lavender, it was just lovely! So I thought that I couldn't not create something without including this beautiful lavender! And raspberries seemed to be the perfect choice to pair it with! I hope you enjoy this recipe...

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Makes 12

For the choux:

100ml water

100ml milk

4g sugar

4g salt

90g butter

110g plain flour

140g eggs

Craquelin:

90g butter

110g plain flour

110g sugar

20g lavender seeds

Jam:

100g raspberry puree

100g fresh raspberries

100g sugar

1 tsp. lavender seeds

Raspberry Mousseline:

350g raspberry puree

10g cornstarch

15g egg yolk

135g sugar

400g softened butter

To decorate: fresh raspberries, lavender and gold leaf

For the choux:

1. Firstly, make the craquelin. Cream together the sugar, butter and lavender together until pale and fluffy. Then gradually add the flour until a dough is formed.

2. Divide this dough into two and place the doughs in-between baking parchment. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough in-between the parchment to a thickness of 3mm. Then chill in the freezer.

3. To make the choux, in a pan place the water, milk, sugar, salt and butter in a pan. Bring to the boil. Pour the flour into the mixture and whisk together on the heat until it starts to come together and no longer sticking to the pan.

4. Pour the mixture into a bowl to cool to room temperature.

5. Using the paddle attachment on a free standing mixer, gradually add the eggs to the mixture until it is dropping consistency (which is when you lift some of the mixture and takes about 5 seconds to drop)

6. Pipe the pastry onto a greased tray using a round nozzle (12mm) to 12cm long.

7. Cut the craquelin to the same size of the same size as the choux (12cmx3cm) and place on the top.

8. Place in the oven at 170 degrees for 14 minutes until a golden brown colour.

9. Leave to cool on a cooling rack

For the fillings:

1. To make the jam, in a small pan, place the sugar, puree, raspberries and lavender. Heat on a medium heat and cook until it reaches 103 degrees celsius

2. Adjust the consistency with some lemon juice.

3. To make the mousseline, In a medium pan, place the puree and heat until steam is visible.

4. In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs and cornstarch until well combined.

5. Gradually add the hot puree to the egg mixture and then return back to the pan.

6. Constantly whisking, bring the mixture up to the boil and take off the heat once its been boiling for 2 minutes.

7. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool completely.

8. Once the cream is cool, put into a free standing mixer and with the whisk attachment, start whisking on a medium speed. Gradually adding the softened butter.

9. Continue to whisk until it is fully incorporated and fully emulsified.

Assembly:

1. Using a sharp serrated knife, trim the top of the eclairs.

2. Using a piping bag, fill the bottom of the eclair with the raspberry jam.

3. Using a small star nozzle in a piping bag, pipe the raspberry mousse line onto the top of the eclair. Pipe starting from one end, going in a circular motion until you reached the other end.

4. Decorate using fresh raspberries and lavender.

ENJOY!