Raspberry white chocolate éclairs

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Mark 6 x evenly spaced 12cm (4½in) lines on each sheet of greaseproof. These lines will act as a guide for piping the eclairs. Have a large piping bag ready fitted with a large round nozzle.

Place the butter and 150ml (5floz) water in a large saucepan and put on a medium heat until the butter has melted. Allow the water to come to the boil and, as soon as it does, switch off the heat, then quickly tip all of the flour into the pan at once. As quickly as possible, mix everything together with a wooden spoon; as you mix you’ll see the lumpy dough transform into a smooth dough that comes away from the sides of the pan. Mix most of the egg into the pan a little at a time, mixing well and looking for the desired ‘dropping’ consistency.

Transfer the mixture to the piping bag and pipe the mixture confidently along the drawn lines. Once the mixture is piped, place the trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. After that time, reduce the heat to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and bake for a further 10-15 minutes, or until golden and well risen. Turn off the oven and leave the eclairs to harden a little for 5 minutes. Make a little slit in the end of each éclair to allow the steam to escape and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, pick 12 perfect raspberries to one side and place the rest of the raspberries in a small mixing bowl with the icing sugar and add a few drops of rose water. Mash through a small sieve into a bowl and place to one side. Meanwhile, place the double cream into a large mixing bowl with 1 tsp vanilla bean paste and whisk to soft peaks. Ripple through half of the sieved raspberry and place the rest to one side.

To prepare the cream for piping, place a few tablespoons in a piping bag with a wide nozzle. Spoon in 1 tsp raspberry coulis, then add more cream and a little more coulis, followed by the rest of the cream. Keep the rest of the coulis for drizzling. Either pipe the cream into the cooled éclairs, or cut them in half and pipe the cream down the centre to make a sandwich. Repeat with all the éclairs and place them back on the cooling rack.

Meanwhile, break up the white chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl over a small pan of simmering water on the hob. Stir until melted. Take the bowl off the heat and carefully dip each éclair into the chocolate at a 45-degree angle to coat the top. Place a raspberry on top of each éclair, then sprinkle over the dehydrated raspberry and rose petals (if using). Place the éclairs back on the cooling rack and allow to set in the fridge, or in a cool place for 30 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of the remaining coulis.

These are best enjoyed on the same day as they don’t keep very well, but they would be fine overnight in a covered container in the fridge. You can make the pastry cases in advance and freeze, then defrost fully before filling.