Classic Eclair

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An eclair is a classic French dessert. It consists of a light and crisp choux pastry shell filled with vanilla custard and glazed with decadent chocolate ganache. The blend of subtly sweet and light pastry with rich and smooth custard and dark chocolate is what makes this eclair an iconic dessert in the kingdom of desserts. Today, I will be sharing the recipe with tips to make this masterpiece in your humble kitchen. So don the apron and jump on this baking adventure.

As mentioned above eclair consists of three elements choux pastry, custard, and chocolate glaze.  Choux pastry is made from simple ingredients such as flour, eggs, and water. But what makes them different is the high amount of water content in the dough which when baked puffs up to form hollow cylinders that can be filled with various fillings.

Vanilla-flavoured custard is made with simple contents such as egg yolks, milk, sugar, and butter. The smooth and rich custard is what elevates the choux pastry to another level. And the chocolate glaze made from chocolate and cream acts as the cherry on top.

Don’t know what to do with extra egg whites? Check out my meringue cookies recipe.

What do you need to make?

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Electric mixer

Mixing Bowls

Piping Nozzle

Baking Paper

Ingredients required to make

Following is a preview list of ingredients, for a detailed list with quantity required, find the recipe card below.

Vanilla custard

• Milk
• Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Cornflour
• Butter
• Egg yolks

Choux pastry

• Flour
• Salt
• Water
• Sugar
• Butter
• Eggs

Chocolate Glaze

• Dark Chocolate
• Heavy Cream

How to make classic eclair?

Following is a simple instruction list, for detailed instructions, find the recipe card below.

Custard cream

1. Heat milk and vanilla till boiled. Set aside.
2. Beat egg yolks and sugar till light, fluffy, and pale. Add cornflour and mix.
3. Add some of the hot milk mixture to the egg mix. Stir thoroughly. Add the rest of the milk.
4. Heat the mixture till it thickens and boils. Refrigerate till further use.

Choux pastry

1. Heat sugar, water, and salt till it boils. Switch off the heat and add flour while mixing.
2. Again cook till a loose dough is formed.
3. Transfer to a bowl. Add eggs one at a time while beating on medium speed till ribbon consistency is achieved.
4. Fill a piping with dough. Pipe logs into a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake till golden brown.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Melt chocolate and cream on a double boiler.

Assembly

1. Use a narrow nozzle to poke holes in the bottom side of the pastry and fill with custard cream.
2. Dip the top part of the pastry in the ganache and chill before serving.

Tips

Choux pastry is the most important element in éclair so take extra care while making.

1. Properly measure flour otherwise the consistency of the pastry gets severely affected. I highly recommend using a scale but if you’re using cups make sure to fill the cup using spoons of flour rather than directly scooping.
2. After the addition of flour the dough should be vigorously mixed to ensure proper incorporation.
3. If you are using a stainless steel pan to cook the dough after some time a film will be formed on the bottom of the pan and a sizzling sound will be heard. These are signs that the dough is ready to be removed from the flame.
4. Before adding the eggs beat the dough on low speed for some time so that the steam could be released. Add eggs in batches to ensure proper mixing and no curdling.
5. When you lift the whisk/spatula from the dough a triangle shape is formed by the dough. It is the perfect consistency.
6. Proper piping is an essential component for perfect pastries. While piping apply pressure on top of the bag rather than at the nozzle for uniform and even log.
7. Leave enough space between each log for proper expansion.
8. Poke the pastries with a toothpick to release steam while they are hot. This prevents sogginess.
9. Let them cool completely before filling or glazing.

Vanilla Custard

1. While adding warm milk to egg yolks keep on stirring continuously to ensure no curdling.
2. While cooking the custard constantly stir otherwise the custard can form lumps and curdle.

If you liked this recipe, try these!

Classic Eclair

Shilpa

Pastry filled to the brim with vanilla custard and topped with chocolate glaze. Make this classic éclair for an indulgent dessert experience.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 4 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 16 eclairs

Ingredients

  

Vanilla custard cream

• 187 g Milk ¾cup
• 30 g Sugar(granulated) 2½ tbsp
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 15 g Cornflour 1½ tbsp
• 5 g Butter (chilled,unsalted) 1 tsp
• 3 Egg yolks (room temperature)

Choux pastry

• 62 g Flour ½ cup
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 110 g Water ½ cup
• 5 g Sugar ½ tbsp
• 45 g Butter (unsalted) 3 tbsp
• 2 Eggs (room temperature) large

Chocolate Glaze

• 60 g Dark Chocolate chopped ¾cup
• 52 g Heavy Cream 3½tbsp

Instructions

 

Custard Cream

• In a medium-sized saucepan, pour the milk and vanilla extract. Boil the milk over medium heat. Set aside.
• In a bowl beat egg yolks and sugar with a whisk/electric mixer until light, fluffy, and pale. Add cornflour and whisk until incorporated.
• Add the 1/3rd of the hot milk mixture into the egg mix while stirring with a whisk. After they are properly combined add the rest of the milk mixture and whisk till combined.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan through a strainer. Cook on medium-low heat till the mixture is thickened and is slowly boiling.
• Remove from heat and mix the chilled butter. Transfer into a bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with a plastic wrap. After the custard cools down to room temperature refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until serving.
• Before using beat the custard cream with an electric mixer/whisk until smooth and silky.

Choux pastry

• Preheat the oven to 180℃/350℉. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl break eggs. Whisk them and set them aside.
• Add water, sugar, and salt into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil on a medium heat.
• Immediately switch off the heat after the mixture boils. Add the flour and mix with a spatula till no streaks of flour are visible. Again cook on medium-low heat till the mixture becomes a smooth dough.
• Transfer the mixture into a bowl. Add the beaten eggs in 4-5 parts. Mix with a whisk/spatula/electric mixer/stand mixer after each addition. After the eggs are completely incorporated mix till the dough has a ribbon consistency.
• Fill the piping bag fitted with an open star tip, with the dough. Pipe (4-inch long) logs on the parchment/butter paper-lined cookie sheet, leaving a 2-inch distance between them. Correct their shape with a finger dipped in water.
• Sprinkle the logs with powdered sugar. Bake them at 180℃/350℉ for 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 170℃/340℉ and bake for another 22-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Poke them with a toothpick to release steam. Then let them cool completely on the cookie sheet itself.

Chocolate Ganache

• Into a bowl add chocolate. Pour hot heavy cream on the chocolate and mix till the chocolate melts and combines with the cream. Set aside to cool down. Assembly

Assembly

• Use a narrow-tipped nozzle to create holes in the bottom side of the pastry. Make 2 to 3 holes in every pastry.
• Fit the same nozzle into a piping bag. Fill the piping bag with custard cream and pipe the cream into the pastry.
• Dip the tops of pastry in the chocolate ganache. Place on the cookie sheet and chill uncovered for 1 hour. Serve chilled.

Notes

Notes:-

Tips

• Properly measure flour for the perfect consistency of the dough.
• Stir the dough continuously for proper mixing.
• Proper piping is an essential component for perfect pastries. While piping apply pressure on top of the bag rather than at the nozzle for uniform and even log.
• Leave enough space between each log for proper expansion.
• Poke the pastries with a toothpick to release steam while they are hot. This prevents sogginess.
• Let them cool completely before filling or glazing.
• While adding warm milk to egg yolks keep on stirring continuously to ensure no curdling.

 

Storage

• Choux pastry can be frozen for 2-3 months. Then thawed and filled.
• Vanilla Custard can stay in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Chocolate glaze needs to be warm so prepare it before assembling.
• Assemble the éclair before serving. Leftover éclair can be stored in an airtight container for at most 1 day in the fridge.

 

 

Ingredients and tools used (affiliate links)

Measuring Cups and Spoons | Electric mixer | Mixing Bowls | Vanilla Extract | Dark Chocolate | Piping Nozzle | Baking Paper

Keyword chocolate, choux pastry, custard, eclair, indulgent, vanilla