Winter eclairs with apple compote, gingerbread and nuts

How it works:

Caramelized nuts

1. bring the water, sugar, fleur de sel and cinnamon to the boil in a pan.
2. add the nuts and simmer for approx. 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. remove the nuts from the syrup with a slotted spoon, drain well and spread out on a baking tray with a silicone mat.
4. roast at 160°C (fan oven) until golden brown. Mix the nuts occasionally during the baking process.

Apple compote

1. peel the apples and cut into large cubes.
2. bring the water and sugar to the boil in a pan.
3. add the apples, lemon juice, vanilla pulp and gingerbread spice. Simmer the mixture for at least 10-15 minutes until the apples are soft.
4. puree the mixture with a hand blender and leave to cool in the fridge. The apple compote must not be runny.
5. pour the compote into a piping bag and chill until ready to use.

Choux pastry

1. bring the water, whole milk, salt, sugar, vanilla pulp and butter to the boil in a pan. Quickly stir the sieved flour into the boiling liquid and heat, stirring constantly, until a white coating forms on the bottom of the pan.
2. pour the mixture into a cold bowl and leave to cool slightly. Using a food processor, gradually add the eggs, occasionally separating the mixture from the sides of the bowl. The choux mixture is ready when the top of the mixture no longer stands up.
3. using a star-shaped nozzle (13 mm), pipe the eclairs onto silicone mats, approx. 10-12 cm long. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (top/bottom heat) for approx. 25-30 minutes and then leave to cool.

Chocolate decoration and marzipan snowflakes

1. for the chocolate decoration, mix 30 grams of liquid cocoa butter with gold powder and white food coloring.
2. using a hairbrush, first apply the gold color to the chocolate foil, then apply a second coat with the white cocoa butter color and allow to set briefly.
3. thinly coat the decorated chocolate foil with tempered white chocolate, leave to set and cut out 10 chocolate lids using an eclair cutter. Chill the decoration until ready to use.
4. for the snowflake decoration, roll out the marzipan with powdered sugar to a thickness of approx. 2 mm and cut out 10 snowflakes (approx. ø 2 cm). Make up with white pearlescent powder. Allow the snowflakes to dry slightly before continuing.
5. color the cold gloss jelly with gold powder and fill into a garnish bag.

Gingerbread mascarpone cream

1. using a food processor, whip the mascarpone, cream, sugar and gingerbread spice in a cold bowl until creamy and firm.
2. pour the mixture into a piping bag with a 12 mm nozzle and process immediately.

Finishing

1. pierce three holes in the base of each eclair with a pointed nozzle.
2. evenly pipe the apple compote into the eclairs.
3. pipe four even dots of the gingerbread mascarpone cream onto the eclair.
4. decoratively arrange the roasted nuts in the spaces between the eclairs. Decorate with gold glitter.
5. place the white and gold chocolate plate on top of the dots of crème.
6. place the marzipan snowflake on a small dab of crème.
7. garnish six small dots on the chocolate plate with the gold jelly.
8. serve on the day of preparation.