Eclairs Recipe: How to Make the Perfect French Pastries

Introduction

French pastries are a delight to the senses, and among them, eclairs hold a special place. They are a perfect blend of choux pastry, creamy filling, and a glossy chocolate glaze. In this blog post, we will provide an easy, foolproof recipe to make the most mouth-watering eclairs at home.

Ingredients

Here is what you need:

• For the choux pastry:
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) water
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) whole milk
• 110 g (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 140 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs

• For the filling:
• 475 ml (2 cups) whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 30 g (1/4 cup) cornstarch
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• For the chocolate glaze:
• 170 g (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220 C (425 F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Start by making the choux pastry: In a saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat, and stir vigorously until the dough forms a ball. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The dough should be glossy and smooth. Pipe the dough onto the baking sheet in the shape of your eclairs.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 190 C (375 F) and bake for 15 more minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
5. While the pastry is cooling, make the filling: In a saucepan, heat the milk until hot but not boiling. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool.
6. Cut a slit in each eclair and pipe the filling into them.
7. Finally, make the chocolate glaze: Melt the chocolate chips and heavy cream together in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Dip the top of each eclair into the glaze and set aside to let the glaze set.

Notes/Tips

• Ensure your eggs are at room temperature before adding them to the dough for a smoother finish.
• The filling can be made a day in advance and kept refrigerated.
• If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a plastic bag with a corner cut off.

Conclusion

And voila! You have made your very own homemade eclairs. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of biting into a pastry that you’ve made from scratch. Bon appétit!