Springtime eclairs

To recreate these beautiful eclairs, head to the baking aisle and check out the fantastic Dr. Oetker baking range. With a fabulous selection of colourful decorations and ingredients you too can create these delicious eclairs at home.

• Serves: 24

What you need:

For the fondant icing:

• 300g (10 1/2 oz) icing sugar
• 65ml water
• 1 tbsp Dr. Oetker Liquid Glucose
• Dr. Oetker Sprinkles
• Dr. Oetker Gel Food Colours

For the choux pastry:

• 75g (2 1/2 oz) plain flour
• 1/2 tsp caster sugar
• 125ml water
• 50g (2oz) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus a little melted butter for greasing
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

For the pastry cream:

• 30g (1oz) plain flour
• 30g (1oz) cornflour
• 4 medium egg yolks
• 125g (4 1/2 oz) caster sugar
• 600ml whole milk
• Dr. Oetker Natural Extracts
• Dr. Oetker Gel Food Colours

What you do:

1. Start making the fondant icing the day before. Place the icing sugar, water and Liquid Glucose in a medium pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 33°C (92°F) on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Add your desired Gel Food Colours, fold in the colour and cover the surface with cling film and leave to cool at room temperature.
2. To make the choux pastry, sift the flour and sugar onto a sheet of baking parchment. Put the water, butter and salt into a small pan and bring to the boil over a high heat. As soon as it comes to the boil, tip in the flour and sugar and stir constantly until it forms a ball in the centre of the pan. Keep stirring over a medium heat for about 1 minute to dry out the mixture. Be careful not to let it dry out too much or the eclairs will crack when cooked.
3. Immediately transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir briefly and then gradually work in the beaten eggs a little at a time, mixing well between each addition. Beat to a smooth paste with a wooden spoon; the mixture should be thick enough to drop from the spoon when gently shaken.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan, 400°F, Gas Mark 6). Spray 2 baking sheets with Cake Release Spray to grease. Place the choux paste in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm (1/2 inch) plain nozzle and pipe it on the baking sheets in lines about 12cm (5 inches) long, leaving at least 2.5cm (1 inch) between each one.
5. Place at top of the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Turn the oven down to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mark 4) and continue to cook until the eclairs are firm and dry on the inside. You can check this by breaking one open and making sure there is no soft dough left inside the shells.
6. Transfer the eclairs onto a wire rack to cool. Once they are cold, make 2 holes at either end of the base of each one. You can do this by pushing the tip of a 5mm (1/2 inch) plain piping nozzle into the eclair.
7. For the pastry cream, sift the flour into a bowl, add the cornflour, then mix in the egg yolks and sugar to form a smooth paste. Bring the milk to boil in a pan. Pour the boiling milk onto the egg mixture and stir well. Return the mixture to a clean pan and whisk continuously over a medium heat until it returns to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and when cooled, add the desired Natural Extracts and Gel Food Colours.
8. Whisk the cold pastry cream until it is smooth then fill a piping bag fitted with a 5mm (1/2 inch) plain nozzle. Pipe the cream into the eclairs from either end through the holes you made earlier. The mix will come out of the opposite hole when the eclair is full.
9. Place each the coloured fondant icings into a separate small pan that is big enough to dip the eclairs into and gently heat to approx. 32°C (90°F). Dip the top of each eclair into the desired coloured, warmed, fondant then hold the eclair at an angle pointed down toward the pan of icing and gently remove any excess fondant with your finger, so the top is neat and tidy. Place the eclairs on a tray lined with baking parchment and finish with your chosen Sprinkles. Leave for a few minutes for the fondant to firm slightly and serve.

Cook's tip:

To achieve the perfect bright and bold icing on your eclairs use Dr. Oetker Gel Food Colours. Available in eight vibrant colours including Hot Pink, Sunshine Yellow, Lime Green and Neon Orange, the unique gel base avoids excess moisture in your icing, helping you achieve the ideal consistency and strong colours every time.

To top your eclairs and add a playful touch to your creations use Dr. Oetker Neon Sugar, adding colour and sparkle to your bakes - the sugars are also easy to use making them perfect for kids.

- Available at Waitrose, RRP £2.49

Dr. Oetker Sugar Butterflies are another gorgeous baking decoration perfect for these Easter treats. With an array of pretty pastel colours, these decorations give a stunning, finish to your eclairs.

- Available at Morrisons, Asda, Sainsburys, Tesco, Waitrose and Co-op RRP £1.29

Claire Clark's Top Tip for Perfect Eclairs:

'Ensure you stir the choux pastry before adding the eggs so you release some of the steam, cooling the mixture. This will make sure the eggs do not cook in the hot dough.'

To get more tips from Claire Clark and view this video go to the Dr. Oetker YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/DrOetkerBaking

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