Chocolate Eclairs
Chocolate eclairs, icons of French patisserie, go back to the 19th century. They are credited to the great pastry chef Marie-Antoine Careme, known as the "king of chefs and chef of kings". Originally these pastries were called "pain a la duchesse" before becoming the eclairs we know today, named for how fast they are eaten — as quick as a flash of lightning. First filled with plain or flavoured pastry cream, chocolate eclairs have grown into an indulgent dessert enjoyed worldwide for the perfect balance between light choux pastry, rich chocolate cream and a glossy glaze.
Ingredients
Choux pastry
- 63 g water
- 63 g milk
- 74 g flour
- 100-150 g eggs
- 55 g butter
- 3 g sugar
- 2 g salt
Glaze
- 100 g cream
- 24 g softened butter
- 24 g honey
- 60 g dark chocolate
Pastry cream
- 500 g semi-skimmed milk
- 120 g sugar
- 60 g egg yolks
- 20 g flour
- 20 g cornflour
- 40 g dark chocolate
Method
Pastry cream
- Pour the milk and half the sugar into a saucepan and set over the heat.
- In another bowl, combine the egg yolks and the remaining sugar. Mix.
- Add the flour to the yolks. Mix.
- Add a little hot milk to loosen the mixture.
- When the milk boils, pour it into the egg yolk mixture.
- Return to the heat until the cream thickens.
- Off the heat, add the dark chocolate.
- Chill, covered with cling film touching the surface.
Choux pastry
- Put the milk, butter, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan over low heat. The butter must melt; wait until it just starts to bubble.
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Add the flour and mix.
- Return to the heat and dry the dough out. It is ready when it comes together into a ball.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and add the eggs little by little.
- The dough is ready when it falls in a ribbon that does not break.
- Pipe with a fluted nozzle.
- Glaze the eclairs with a beaten egg.
- Bake at 180°C for 25 minutes.
- After baking, use a piping nozzle to make three holes underneath each eclair so you can fill them with the pastry cream.
Glaze
- In a saucepan over low heat, add the cream and the honey.
- Once it starts to bubble, pour it over the dark chocolate. Stir until smooth and glossy.
- Let it cool to 40°C and add the soft butter. Stir until the butter has completely melted.
- The mixture should be at 36°C, and you can glaze the eclairs.
