Page 289 - A Literary Holiday Cookbook

spatula. Turn heat back to medium. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring

constantly. Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Beat in the eggs 1 tablespoon at a time with a hand mixer on

medium speed until smooth.

3 Fit a piping bag with a ½-inch round piping tip and fill the bag with
the pastry dough.

4 Pipe 13 (4-inch) éclairs at least 1½ inches apart on each baking
sheet. Place the sheets in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the

heat down to 350°F; flip and rotate the pans. Bake for 20 minutes

more. Turn off the heat and let the pastry shells sit for 10 minutes in
the oven. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

5 Prepare the filling. To make the balsamic vinegar reduction, pour
balsamic vinegar into a small sauté pan over medium heat and bring

to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 15
minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and allow to

come to room temperature in the pan, approximately 15 minutes

(makes 6 to 8 tablespoons).

6 To roast the strawberries, begin by preheating the oven to 400°F.

Toss strawberries in salt. Spread them out on a lightly greased

baking sheet and place in oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway
through. The strawberries should be soft and slightly darkened.

Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

7 Cut pastry shells in half lengthwise and set aside. Whisk ricotta for

1 minute or until fluffy. Transfer ricotta to a piping bag fitted with a

large round tip (such as a Wilton 2A tip). Pipe approximately 1½
teaspoons of ricotta across the bottom half of each éclair. Sprinkle 1

teaspoon of pistachios onto each ricotta stripe.