Chocolate Éclair Recipe
Pâte à choux filled with chocolate cremeux
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Ingredients
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Pâte à Choux (Choux Pastry)
Chocolate Crémeux (Filling)
Glaze (optional)
Finishing
Method
Pâte à Choux (Choux Pastry)
- 1
Prepare oven and piping
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a plain 1 cm (about 1/2 inch) round tip or use a large round tip.
- 2
Make the panade
In a medium saucepan, combine 120 ml water, 120 ml whole milk, 80 g unsalted butter, 5 g sugar and 2 g salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring to melt the butter.
- 3
Add flour and form dough
Remove saucepan from heat and add 90 g all-purpose flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth ball forms and a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 30–45 seconds.
- 4
Dry the dough
Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1–2 minutes to dry the dough slightly. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle and let cool for 2–3 minutes (so it’s warm but not hot).
- 5
Incorporate eggs
Beat in the eggs one at a time on medium speed (or with a wooden spoon), mixing thoroughly after each addition. The dough will look like it's separating then will come back together — aim for a pipeable thick batter that falls in a ribbon when lifted. You may not need the full 3 eggs or might need a small extra portion; use the texture as guide.
- 6
Pipe and bake
Transfer dough to the prepared pastry bag. Pipe logs about 12–14 cm (5–5.5 in) long and 3–4 cm wide spaced 4 cm apart. Smooth any peaks with a damp fingertip. Brush lightly with beaten egg (optional) for color. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake another 20–25 minutes until puffed and deep golden. Do not open oven while baking.
- 7
Dry and cool
Remove éclairs from oven and prick the side or underside of each with a skewer to release steam. Return to oven (turned off) with door slightly ajar for 5–10 minutes to dry. Transfer to a rack to cool completely before filling.
Chocolate Crémeux (Filling)
- 8
Warm dairy
In a saucepan, combine 200 ml whole milk and 100 ml heavy cream and heat until just simmering (small bubbles at edge), then remove from heat.
- 9
Whisk yolks with sugar and starch
In a bowl, whisk together 40 g granulated sugar, 3 egg yolks and 15 g cornstarch until smooth and slightly pale.
- 10
Temper and cook
Slowly pour about one-third of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper. Return tempered mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and just comes to a simmer, about 2–4 minutes. Do not boil vigorously.
- 11
Add chocolate and butter
Remove from heat and immediately pour the hot custard over 150 g finely chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let sit 1–2 minutes, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Stir in 30 g cold cubed unsalted butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- 12
Chill
Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin forming. Chill in the refrigerator until thick and pipeable, at least 2 hours (or 30–45 minutes in an ice bath for quicker cooling). Before filling, whisk briefly to loosen to a smooth, pipeable consistency; if too stiff, fold in 1–2 tbsp cream to adjust texture.
Glaze (optional)
- 13
Make glaze
Melt 80 g dark chocolate with 15 g corn syrup (or honey) and 10 g unsalted butter in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water (double boiler) or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly until spreadable but still glossy.
- 14
Glaze éclairs
Dip the top of each filled éclair into the glaze or spoon glaze over tops. Let set at room temperature or in the refrigerator briefly.
Assembly & Finishing
- 15
Fill éclairs
Fit a pastry bag with a small plain tip or use a piping tip to fill. Poke two small holes in the underside of each éclair or slice a thin lengthwise opening. Transfer the chilled chocolate crémeux to the bag and pipe into each éclair until slightly full and slightly puffed.
- 16
Finish
If glazing, dip or glaze the filled éclairs as described above. Optionally dust with a light sift of powdered sugar. Serve chilled or at room temperature.