Description
Discover this easy recipe for perfect éclairs, filled with creamy pastry cream and topped with rich chocolate glaze.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole milk (for pastry cream)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for pastry cream)
- ¼ cup cornstarch (for pastry cream)
- 4 large egg yolks (for pastry cream)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for pastry cream)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for pastry cream)
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (for chocolate glaze)
- ½ cup heavy cream (for chocolate glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine water and butter, bringing it to a boil over medium heat.
- Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe 4-inch long strips onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the éclairs are puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the pastry cream, heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just simmering.
- In a bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks until smooth. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill for at least 2 hours.
- For the chocolate glaze, heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until just simmering. Pour over the chopped chocolate in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
- Once the éclairs are cool, fill them with the chilled pastry cream using a piping bag. Dip the tops of the filled éclairs into the chocolate glaze and let set on a wire rack.
Notes
- For a lighter version, substitute half of the butter in the dough with applesauce.
- Consider infusing the milk for the pastry cream with a cinnamon stick or citrus zest before heating for added flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 éclair
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 100mg