Recipe Review: Éclairs

Mmmmm eclairs... there's nothing like them. Crisp, fluffy pastry... delicately sweet custard filling... and chocolate glaze. They're one of my favorite pastries.

After finding a recipe for them flipping through one of my cookbooks, I couldn't resist trying it.

I didn't follow the instructions to the tee, but in my opinion, for a first try, they came out quite scrumptious. I could have mixed the batter a bit longer, I could have not burned the chocolate in the microwave, I could have allowed the custard to boil, I could have used a pastry bag to fill the shells... I could have had more patience overall.

FYI - If you try this, make the custard first, as it will take a while to cool and requires your full attention.

Custard Filling

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup sugar***
• half of 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• half of 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

***This amount of sugar makes a pastry cream that is just barely sweet. Use 1/2 to 3/4 cup for a sweeter pastry.

Directions

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together 1 cup of the milk, sugar and salt. 
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, flour and egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup milk.
4. Whisk some of the boiling milk mixture with the egg yolks, then pour back into the hot milk mixture and return to the heat. 
5. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for no less than 30 seconds. 
6. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve into an appropriately sized bowl.
7. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract.
8. Top the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.
9. To complete, fold the cooled cream into the whipped cream.

Cream Puff Pastry

aka Pâté à Choux (paht ah SHOO)
3 cups, enough for 12 eclairs or 16 cream puffs

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. 
2. Put water, butter and salt in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a rolling boil
3. Remove it from the heat and add the flour all at once.
4. Stir vigorously.
5. Return the pan to the burner and cook over medium heat, stirring all the while, until the mixture forms a ball; this should take only about a minute.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes, to 140 F. You should be able to hold a finger in it for a few seconds.
7. Transfer the dough to a mixer and beat in the eggs one at a time; the mixture will become fluffy. Beat for at least 2 minutes after adding the last egg.
8. OR labor with a whisk. And yes it's OK to use your hands. 
9. Form the choux paste into whatever shape you desire, using a spoon or by putting the dough into a pastry bag and piping it.
10. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 
11. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack and leave the pastry inside to cool for 30 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven to cool completely. 
13. CAREFULLY split the pastry, fill and frost as desired.

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Melt the butter with the chocolate in a microwave or in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water.***
2. Remove from the heat.
3. Stir in the water and sugar.
4. Beat with a spoon or fork until the glaze is smooth and soft enough to pour.
5. Drizzle onto the eclairs.

***You can also use a regular 'ole bowl and pot.

Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion