Chocolate Eclairs

Éclair is a very famous French pastry made from pâte à choux (choux pastry). I’ve read that it has been a popular dessert for over 120 years by now. Yet, I always thought that making éclairs is incredibly complicated. Therefore, for the longest time I was very hesistant to try and make them myself. But when I finally did have the courage to try them, I was so surprised to find out that it’s not that complicated at all and they turned out great from the first try! Granted, they don’t look all that uniform and professional as the ones in French bakeries but the taste is the same! Besides, home baking doesn’t have to look perfect.

Ingredients (12 éclairs) :

For the pâte à choux:

1/3 cup (0.8 dl) water

1/5 cup (0.5 dl) milk

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp (5 g) powdered sugar

1/4 cup (50 g) butter, softened

2/3 cup (75 g) all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk

For the chocolate cream:

2 cup + 2 tbsp (5 dl) milk

3/4 cup (100 g) powdered sugar

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30 g) cocoa powder, unsweetened

Glazing:

3.5 oz (100 g) chocolate (min. 52% cocoa)

2 tbsp + 1 tsp (20 g) powdered sugar

Directions:

Pâte à choux (choux pastry):

1. Preheat the oven to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, salt, powdered sugar, and butter that was cut into small cubes.
3. Bring the mixture to boil. Sift the flour and add to the saucepan. Mix until well combined. Reduce the heat and cook for 1-2 minutes. Set aside and let it cool.
4. Add the eggs one-by-one, mixing each egg in very well. Make sure that the flour-butter mixture is not too hot before adding the eggs, as they may cook. 
   
5. Fill your piping bag with the dough, and squeeze out about 2.4-inch (6 cm) long cylinders.
6. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk. Spread the egg yolk on top of the dough using a pastry brush.
   
   Lightly push the fork on top of the choux pastry on one end and pull down towards the other end (in order to create a pattern).
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer on a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate cream:

1. In a small saucepan, bring milk to boil.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the egg yolks, and powdered sugar. Beat until the mixture turns lighter. Incorporate flour mixed with cocoa powder.
3. Add half of the boiled milk to the flour-egg-sugar mixture and mix well. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, constantly stirring, and add the rest of the boiled milk, stirring constantly. The cream should be thick. Let the cream cool. 
   
4. Make two openings in the baked dough for the éclairs using a knife. Fill your piping bag with the cream and fill the dough with cream via the openings. 
   
   
   
   

If you don’t have a piping bag, you can simply cut the éclairs in two (a bit like a hot dog) and place the filling there.

Chocolate glazing:

1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave or using a double boiler (bring water to boil in a saucepan, place the bowl with chocolate pieces in it on top, let the chocolate melt gently).
2. Add powdered sugar and mix well.
3. Dip the éclairs in the chocolate glazing. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes before serving. 
   

​