Eclairs Recipe
Indulge in this homemade Eclairs recipe, which uses choux pastry, vanilla cream filling, and a glossy chocolate glaze. They're perfect for celebrating a special occasion or impressing brunch guests!
Servings 10 eclairs
Calories 395kcal
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 2 cups whole milk (480ml)
- ½ vanilla bean split lengthwise and seeds scraped
- 6 egg yolks
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar (133g)
- ¼ cup cornstarch (25g)
- 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
For the Choux Pastry:
- 1 cup water (240ml)
- ½ cup unsalted butter cubed (113g)
- 1½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 3 large eggs (plus 1 extra if needed)
For the Chocolate Glaze:
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream (120ml)
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (or bars, coarsely chopped)
Instructions
For the Filling:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla bean and bring to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer back into the saucepan.
- Cook over medium-high heat, gently whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until fully melted and combined. Transfer to a clean bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool slightly at room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
For the Pastry:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Using a pencil, draw ten 4-inch-long lines on one side of a sheet of parchment paper, spacing them a few inches apart. Flip the paper over and place it on a large baking sheet. Fit a large pastry bag with a large round tip. Set both aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt, and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. When it is boiling, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once, and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds.
- Return the pan to medium heat and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer).
- Start mixing at medium speed. With the mixer running, add 3 eggs, one at a time. Stop mixing after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick but should fall slowly and steadily from the paddle when you lift it out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the paddle, beat the remaining egg, then mix in a little bit at a time until the dough is thick but will ribbon off of the paddle.
- Carefully transfer the choux dough to the pastry bag. Pipe fat lines of dough 4 inches long (about the size and shape of a jumbo hot dog) onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each. You should have 8 to 10 lines of dough. (Don’t worry if they aren’t perfect!)
- Use your fingers dipped in cool water to smooth out any bumps or points of dough that remain on the surface. If desired, you can lightly brush the dough with an egg wash.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and continue baking until puffed and light golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Once golden, remove from the oven and immediately poke two holes in the bottom using a skewer to release steam. Let the pastry shells cool completely on a wire rack.
For Filling the Shells:
- Poke a hole in the end of each cooled eclair shell, or two larger holes on the bottom, using a small pastry tip.
- Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and whisk it vigorously until smooth and loosened up. Transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain piping tip, or a tip designed to fill donuts. Gently pipe the custard into the eclairs through the holes you just made, filling them with just enough custard to fill the inside but not ooze out. Place them back on the wire rack once filled.
For the Glaze:
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat or by microwave in a medium bowl, just until it starts to bubble and steam.
- Add the chocolate, and let stand for 2 minutes on the counter. Gently whisk until melted and smooth.
- Dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm chocolate glaze and set them on a small pan or plate. Chill, uncovered, for at least 1 hour to set the glaze, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Eclairs should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Video
Notes
- Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap. Place the wrap directly on the surface of the cream. This will prevent a skin from forming on it.
- Make the pastry filling in advance to save on prep time. The pastry cream needs at least 2 hours to chill before it's ready to use, so plan the eclair preparation accordingly. The filling can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
- Refrigerate filled eclairs. For the best texture and flavor, store filled eclairs in the refrigerator and consume them within 24 hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 220mg | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 815IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 2mg