Description
Crisp choux pastry, fluffy fresh cream and a smooth chocolate topping make these homemade eclairs a real treat. They look impressive, but with a few handy tips, you can make them right in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Choux pastry
- 3.5 tbsp (50 g) butter
- 1 cup water
- Pinch of salt
- 0.8 cups (200 ml) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
Filling
- 1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream, cold
- 1 to 2 tbsp icing sugar, optional
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the chocolate topping
- 3.5 oz (100 g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup water, 50 g butter and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture comes to a full boil.
- Remove the saucepan briefly from the heat and add 200 ml sifted all purpose flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth dough and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.
- Return the saucepan to low heat and stir the dough for about 1 to 2 minutes to dry it slightly. Transfer it to a mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes, until warm but not hot.
- Beat in the 4 large eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. The dough should become smooth, glossy and thick enough to hold its shape. You may not need every bit of the fourth egg, so check the consistency as you go.
- Preheat the oven to 220⁰C (425⁰F). Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round or star nozzle. Pipe 10 to 12 even strips, about 10 to 12 cm long, onto a lightly greased or parchment lined baking tray, leaving space between each one.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 220⁰C (425⁰F), without opening the oven door. Reduce the temperature to 190⁰C (375⁰F) and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the eclairs are well risen, firm and a deep golden brown.
- Remove the eclairs from the oven and immediately make a small slit in the side or bottom of each one to let the steam escape. Return them to the turned off oven for 5 minutes with the door slightly ajar, if they’re still moist inside. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- For the filling, beat 1 cup cold whipping cream with 1 to 2 tbsp icing sugar, if using, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until firm peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat, or the cream may turn grainy.
- Once the eclairs are completely cool, use a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle to fill each one through the slit or make two small holes underneath each eclair and pipe in the cream until filled.
- For the chocolate topping, place 100 g chopped semi sweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/3 cup whipping cream in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave for 2 minutes before stirring until smooth and glossy.
- Allow the chocolate mixture to cool slightly until it thickens enough to coat the eclairs without running off. Dip the top of each filled eclair into the chocolate or spoon the topping over it.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Sita
