More eclairs

Ok, so we didn't practice our tart tartin this week, which to be honest was a bit disappointing as I had got my pears in readiness for the challenge. I will just have to have a practice myself this weekend, although despite saying I was going to get myself a tin I never got round to it so I need to purchase one first.
However we had a quick masterclass on choux pastry from Claire Clark via the wonders of the internet and then off we went to have a go ourselves. This week I decided on a chocolate crème diplomat filling, which went very well (so nice I licked the spoon), we made more choux pastry and I made about 16 eclairs and some chouquettes with what was left in the piping bag.
Size wise I probably could have managed to find 4 éclairs of the same shape and size, I had a few wonky looking ones as well though. but overall I was happy with the size and shape of them. The chocolate fondant icing was trickier but still a huge improvement on last week when the chocolate ran out! Quite a light chocolate colour and it stayed glossy, but was just a tiny bit too thick. However decorating them went well, making 'run outs' with the children's names on them and placing them on top of the éclairs, so breakfast this morning was this little token of chocolatey love to my kiddies. New skill of tempering chocolate must be learnt before my assessment as the run outs did soften quickly and bend over top top of the éclair and a more rigid chap would have looked a bit more professional I think.
Overall another great night, and we finished a little earlier than usual so I stopped at mums to deliver a couple of my treats (there is only so many éclairs one family can eat!).
Today I have made a reminder of my childhood, rock cakes. Mum often made these and I think it was probably one of the first cakes I ever made so when I spotted a recipe for them in an old copy of good food magazine I couldn't resist giving them a go.
And so tonight we will sit down and watch the final of the Great British bakeoff, and have a little cake feast, my own bakeoff challenge will continue meanwhile although I feel I have a long way to go before I could call myself a master patissiere!!!