Easy Classic Chocolate Eclair Recipe

Chocolate Éclair – Éclair, a French pastry, is like the challenge of making macarons. Unlike macarons, it’s crispy in the outside and hollow in the inside. It’s a true delight with custard cream fillings inside, usually top with chocolate ganache. If you follow the steps closely, it’s actually much easier to make these compared to macarons. I do understand it’s lockdown period now, but it comprised of daily used ingredients, I am sure you will have them at home. I hope you’re inspired to make these beautiful éclair. Enjoy!

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Ingredients:
This recipe will yield about 12 pieces of éclair.

Custard Cream
375ml (1 ½ cup) whole milk
28g (2 tbsp) butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 egg yolks
50g (1/4 cup) sugar
30g (2 tbsp) plain flour or cake flour

Choux Pastry
85g (1/2 cup + 4 tbsp) cake flour
68g (1/4 cup + ½ tbsp) butter
½ tsp salt
128g (1 cup) water
3 eggs, beaten

Chocolate Ganache for topping
120g (3/4 cup) semi-sweet chocolate
60g (1/4 cup) heavy cream, hot

Pecan nuts, chopped (optional) – you can use any nuts, sprinkles, coconuts

Instructions:
Custard Cream
1. In a pot, add milk and butter. Heat it just until the butter is melted.
2. In a bowl, add egg yolks, sugar and flour. Mix until well incorporated.
3. Gradually add in the hot milk mixture. Constantly stir as you’re adding in the milk mixture.
4. Strain while you’re adding back into the pot.
5. Cook the mixture over low medium heat until the mixture is thickened. Constantly stir from beginning until you are a thick consistency. Be careful not to burn the cream.
6. Transfer the cream into a bowl. Cover with cling film, touching the cream to prevent formation of skin.
7. Set aside until is needed.

Choux Pastry
1. Sift the flour. Set aside.
2. Beat the eggs. Set aside.
3. In a pot, add butter, salt and water. Bring it to a light boil over medium heat or until the butter is melted. When the mixture is just started boiling, off the fire. Add in the flour. Mix until they come together like a wet dough, and until the white flour completely disappears. Put the fire back on low heat. Cook it for a few seconds to ensure even mixing. Then off the heat.
4. Transfer the dough onto a bowl. Immediately add in the beaten eggs little by little. Do not add in at one go. You may not need all the eggs. Mix until the eggs well incorporated into the batter. If the batter is still heavy and lumpy, continue adding the eggs, until at one point you’ll reach a smooth consistency and will drop from your spatula, leaving a string behind as shown in the video. That’s good to go. You may or may not use all your eggs. If you still have remaining eggs, try not to add or finish up the eggs, else the batter will be too runny. For your info, I used up all my eggs to reach this consistency. As some of you may have used large eggs, you may reach this consistency earlier before finishing the eggs.
5. Transfer the batter into a piping bag. I am using 6FT tip (star tip). You can use the round tip if you desire.
6. Pipe some small dollops to hold the parchment paper. I don’t have a flat pan, so I turned my pan the other way round to ease the piping.
7. Pipe at 45° angle. That is why flat pan is ideal for this. Pipe each éclair about 10cm long. You can pipe longer or shorter mini ones, however you desire.
8. Tidy up the ends with a touch of water. Lightly spray the top with water to prevent cracking.
9. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C/355°F for 40-45 min or until they are browned.
10. Let them cool on the rack.
11. Poke 3 holes and pipe in the cream. You will feel the weight of the éclair as you are piping the cream, that’s a good sign that the choux is filled.

Chocolate Ganache
1. Add the hot heavy cream (you can microwave or lightly boil it) into the chocolate.
2. Let it rest for 2 min.
3. Give it a good mix until combined.

Place the top of the éclair into the chocolate ganache. Place it on the cooling rack. Sprinkle some nuts on top. You may chill the éclair before serving, or you can consume immediately.

STORAGE TIPS:
Refrigerate it in airtight container for 2-3 days. Consume while the cream is fresh. The choux can be stored in airtight container in fridge for up to 7 days.

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