🔪 Introduction
Éclairs are a classic French pastry made from choux pastry, traditionally filled with pastry cream and topped with a shiny chocolate glaze. Though they may look fancy, they’re very doable at home with the right guidance. The key is in timing, proper technique, and quality ingredients. Once you’ve mastered this, you’ll never want store-bought éclairs again!
🧂 Ingredients
✨ For the Choux Pastry:
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
🍮 For the Vanilla Pastry Cream:
- 2 cups (480ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
🍫 For the Chocolate Glaze:
- 4 oz (115g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for shine)
👨🍳 Instructions & Methods
Step 1: Make the Pastry Cream (Can be done ahead)
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until it just starts to simmer.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks until smooth and pale.
- Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until it thickens (2–4 minutes).
- Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract.
- Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap (touching the surface), and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Step 2: Make the Choux Pastry
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan, combine butter, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough ball.
- Return to heat and stir for another 1–2 minutes to dry out the dough slightly.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough should be smooth, glossy, and pipeable.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip.
- Pipe 4–5 inch long lines onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced apart.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, then reduce to 350°F (175°C) and bake another 15–20 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding. Do not open the oven early.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 3: Fill the Éclairs
- Once the shells are cool, poke a hole in one end (or the bottom) of each éclair.
- Fill a piping bag with chilled pastry cream and pipe into each éclair until filled.
- Alternatively, you can slice the éclairs in half and spoon in the cream.
Step 4: Make the Chocolate Glaze
- Heat the cream in a saucepan until just simmering.
- Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.
- Stir until smooth. Add butter for extra shine if desired.
- Dip the tops of each filled éclair into the glaze or spoon over the top.
- Let set for 10–15 minutes before serving.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- Best enjoyed chilled or at room temperature.
- Keep in the fridge for up to 2–3 days.
- Dust with powdered sugar or edible gold for a fancier look!
📝 Tips for Success
- Dry out the choux dough on the stove after adding flour – it helps with puffing.
- Don’t underbake – éclairs should be golden and feel hollow.
- Chill pastry cream well before piping.