Do you like goodies? This classic éclair recipe will help you forget about buying these cakes, and your family will demand to cook them every week. You don’t know how to make eclairs? Then this recipe is for you!
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Éclair (from French éclair “lightning”) is a French dessert, a custard cake with cream inside.
A éclair is a custard pastry with a cream filling. A classic (French and English) eclair is a cake of an elongated shape and necessarily with custard inside, i.e., a custard cake. Both éclairs and custard cakes can be covered with either chocolate or sugar glaze, sprinkled with nuts, chocolate shavings (recently also copra).
However, éclair has changed its original meaning in some countries.
So, what in Western Europe would be called a eclair, in Ukraine it is often called simply a custard cake (which, by the way, in Ukraine can be not only with custard cream). And a éclair is understood as a round cake with custard cream.
And, for example, in Germany they have their names for classic éclairs – “love bone” (German Liebesknochen), “coffee stick” (German Kaffeestange) or even “hare’s foot” (German Hasenpfote). In the USA, in general, éclairs are sometimes called “long Johns” (eng. long john) – elongated donuts.
Éclairs are best eaten the day they are made, but you can store them in the refrigerator for a day. It is not recommended to store it for a longer time because the cream can start to spoil, and you will get an upset stomach.
Tools for making eclairs:
- A large pastry bag.
- The round tip 1.25 cm.
- Baking paper.
- Silicone liner or parchment paper.
- Pastry nozzle for filling éclairs and cakes.
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What is custard dough?
Sourdough is a classic pastry made from elementary ingredients (milk, water, eggs, flour, butter, sugar, and salt). This is a soft dough that pours out onto a baking sheet.
Correct baking temperature is the key to success. A preheated oven to 218˚С (425˚F) allows the pastry to rise nicely, creating a hollow middle for the filling. The custard is then baked at a lower temperature to dry out the center.
Moreover, the custard dough used in this recipe makes a great base for an Italian donut recipe.
Eclairs recipe
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Chocolate éclair recipe
Do you like éclairs? Try making a fresh homemade éclair! And you won't buy them in the store anymore. Difficulty of the recipe: medium.
Ingredients
For custard dough
- Water – 1/2 cup (125 ml.)
- Milk – 1/2 cup (125 ml.)
- Butter – 8 tbsp. l. (120 gr.)
- Sugar – 1 tsp.
- Salt – 1/4 tsp.
- Flour – 1 cup (125 gr.)
- Eggs – 4 pcs. (large)
For pastry cream
- Milk – 2 glasses (490 ml.)
- Vanilla – 2 tsp. (extract)
- Sugar – 3/4 cup (150 gr.)
- Corn starch – 1/4 cup (32 gr.)
- Salt – 1 pinch
- Egg yolks – 4 pcs.
- Butter – 4 tbsp. l. (60 gr.)
For the chocolate glaze:
- Dark chocolate – 115 gr.
- Cream – 1/2 cup (118 gr.)
Instructions
First, let's prepare the custard dough for éclairs:
In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 8 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Then remove from heat and add 1 cup (0.24 l) of flour, mix thoroughly until smooth without lumps. Use a wooden spoon for this.
Return the pan to medium heat for about 1.5 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly (to remove excess moisture and partially cook the flour), or until the dough forms a smooth ball and a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan.
Transfer to a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 1 minute to cool slightly.
Add 4 eggs (one at a time) making sure each egg is fully incorporated into the batter between additions.
Beat until the dough becomes smooth and forms a paste-like mass.
Using a 1.25 cm round tip, pipe the éclairs onto a silicone-lined baking sheet. You should end up with 18-20 (10 cm long and 1.8 cm wide) strips, spaced 3.5-4 cm apart. As in the photo.
We send éclairs to the oven. It is necessary to bake them at a temperature of 218 ˚C (425 °F) for 10 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 165˚C and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack, and start preparing the pastry cream.
How to prepare pastry cream:
In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups (0.47 l) milk and vanilla to a boil, stirring to prevent a film from forming.
In a separate large bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly. Add 4 egg yolks.
Beat until you get a uniform, creamy consistency and a light color – it will take a couple of minutes to achieve the result.
Gradually (so that the eggs do not curdle), constantly whisking with a whisk, add hot milk in an even stream until it all forms a single mass.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Then beat for another 30 seconds until the mixture is thick and pudding-like.
Transfer the pastry cream to a medium bowl. Cut the butter into pieces and quickly mix with the custard until it is completely dissolved.
Cover the surface of the cream with plastic wrap, let it cool slightly, then refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chilled.
Use a small pastry tip to poke 2–3 holes in the bottom of each cooled cake.
After the cream has cooled, fill the pastry bag with it. Apply the cream inside.
Scrape off the excess with a knife. While you prepare the chocolate glaze, cool the éclairs in the refrigerator.
How to make chocolate glaze:
Crush the chocolate manually, or grate it into a heat-resistant dish.
Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream (in a saucepan or microwave) until just simmering, then remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Let rest for 2 minutes, then whisk from the center outwards until smooth.
Dip the top half of the filled and cooled éclairs into the chocolate sauce, allowing the excess to drip off.
After completing this procedure with all the éclairs, send them to cool in the refrigerator.
After the chocolate sauce hardens, your éclairs are ready!
Bon appétit!
Notes
This dough recipe is also used to make Zeppole Donuts!
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Nutrition Information
Serving Size
18 éclairsAmount Per Serving Calories 241Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 115mgSodium 71mgCarbohydrates 20gSugar 12gProtein 4g
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