Chocolate Eclair is a very popular French dessert. Its made from Pastry dough (Choux pastry) and filled with creamy delicious vanilla pastry cream which is then dipped into chocolate ganache.
The dough is pretty similar to the dough used in making profiteroles or cream puffs.There are variations to pastry cream like coffee flavored, simple whipped cream or fruit-filling pastry cream. I love eclairs as they are so light, soft and the cream custard ahhh my favorite.
Best thing about making Chocolate Eclairs at home is mostly all the ingredients required in the recipe are readily available in pantry and fridge. Correct techniques and good quality ingredients is what makes best chocolate eclairs.
Traditionally, shape of eclairs is oblong and about the size of hot dog. If you wish, you can make it small like I have or make it round, it doesn’t matter. I decorate cakes so I always have piping bags and variety of piping tips to use. But, if you don’t have them don’t worry. Simply use Ziploc bag, snip the end and pipe them in circle or oblong shape. Obviously they won’t look like what confectioneries sell but come on they are homemade. If they look perfect how are people gonna know its homemade. I can assure you they will taste amazing if you follow the recipe correctly.
Vanilla Pastry Cream: I prefer using a vanilla pod or vanilla paste(with specs of vanilla beans) for this recipe. It makes pastry cream really flavorful and top notch. But if you do not have it or not able to find it just use regular vanilla essence and it is going to still taste delicious.
Choux pastry: This dough doesn’t have any raising agent like baking soda or baking powder. So idea is to make it little thin using eggs which can create steam inside and that will puff up the pastry. After baking, when you actually make holes on the ends you will see the pastry is hollow inside. That is where the gorgeous pastry cream is filled up.
As you can see in the above pic, I have experimented by using a star tip to get a shell shaped pastry. Using round piping tip or just ziploc bag works better. But once they are glazed with chocolate you can hardly notice anything. Remember to make the holes on both end while they are hot for steam to escape. It is important to do that otherwise steam stays inside and makes the pastry soggy.
Chocolate Ganache: the most easiest part of the recipe is to make ganache. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until all the chocolate melts.
Chocolate Eclair
Ingredients
For Pastry cream or Custard
- 2-1/4 cups whole milk
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp vanilla paste or 1 vanilla pod preferable
- pinch of salt
For Pastry
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
For Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For pastry cream or custard
- In a sauce pan, heat up the milk to simmer or till you see bubbles around the edges. Turn of the heat and let it sit. Note: If using vanilla pod add it to milk and let it infuse for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a bowl, cream together egg yolk and sugar till it becomes pale yellow in color. Also whisk in corn starch thoroughly.
- Take 1/4 cup of hot milk and temper it to egg mixture whisking continuously. Slowly keep adding and whisking 1/4 - 1/2 cup milk. Once all the milk is incorporated, pour the mixture back in same pan. Turn the heat on medium and cook the mixture by constantly whisking until it thickens. This takes around 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.
- Transfer it to a bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent any skin formation.
- Let it chill in the fridge for couple of hours before using. It can also be made a day in advance.
For Pastry
- Preheat the oven at 425 degrees. Line 2 sheet pan with parchment paper. Prepare a piping bag with any big piping tip ( star tip # 1M or round tip # 1A).
- In a sauce pan, boil water and butter on medium heat. Once water starts boiling turn off the heat and stir in all purpose flour. Using a wooden spoon completely incorporate the flour.
- Turn on the heat, and cook the flour mixture for a minute or until raw flavor of flour is gone.
- Transfer the mixture to stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment or any big bowl if using hand mixer.
- Turn on the mixer and let it go for 1 minute. You will see steam escaping which will eventually cool down the dough.
- With mixer on, start adding eggs one at a time. Scrape the mixture in between. Mix until the mixture is smooth and all the eggs are incorporated completely.
- Fill up the dough in the piping bag and pipe out 3-5 inches logs every inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Brush the top of those logs with some water and bake them for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature at 350 and continue baking for 20 minutes.
- Once they are baked and still hot, take a skewer or piping tip and make a hole on both the sides so steam can escape.
- Allow it to cool completely before filling them with pastry cream.
For Ganache
- In a sauce pan, bring heavy cream to simmer.
- Pour hot heavy cream on chocolate chips and let it sit for 2 minutes. Whisk the mixture until the chocolate has melted.
To assemble Eclairs
- Fill up pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip ( tip # 12).
- Fill the eclairs from the holes made at the end of each side with pastry cream.
- Dip each eclair into ganache and let it sit for a while.
- Other way of assembling is to cut the eclair into half and spoon some pastry cream in between (something like a sandwich).
