Eclair Chocolate Pastry (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Choux Pastry
01 -
1 cup all-purpose flour
02 -
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 -
1/4 teaspoon salt
04 -
1 teaspoon sugar
05 -
4 large eggs
06 -
1/2 cup water
07 -
1/2 cup whole milk
→ Pastry Cream
08 -
3/4 cup granulated sugar
09 -
1/4 cup cornstarch
10 -
2 cups whole milk
11 -
1 pinch salt
12 -
4 tablespoons butter, softened
13 -
4 large egg yolks
14 -
1/2 vanilla bean, split open and scraped
→ Chocolate Glaze
15 -
1/2 cup heavy cream
16 -
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
# Instructions:
01 -
In a medium pot, mix the butter, milk, water, sugar, and salt. Heat until boiling over medium heat before pulling it off the stove. Stir in flour quickly with a wooden spoon. Put back on medium heat, stirring nonstop for about 2 minutes until it turns into a smooth dough ball. Move it to a bowl, and blend with a hand mixer for about a minute to cool it down. Add the eggs, one by one, beating until the dough becomes thick and silky.
02 -
Use a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip to pipe 18-20 strips, each about 4 inches long and 3/4 inch wide, onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Leave about 1 1/2 inches of space between them. Start baking at 425°F for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 325°F without opening the door. Bake for another 30 minutes until they’re golden brown. Let them cool on a rack.
03 -
Warm milk, the vanilla bean, and its seeds in a pot until it starts to boil. In a different bowl, whisk cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add the egg yolks and mix until it gets smooth and pale. Pour a bit of the hot milk into the mixture while whisking constantly. Pour it all back into the saucepan, cooking over medium heat and whisking nonstop until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Place in a bowl, press plastic wrap snugly against the surface, and pop it in the fridge for half an hour.
04 -
Using a small piping tip, poke holes in the bottoms of the cooled pastries. Pipe the pastry cream into the holes until they’re nicely filled. Chill the filled pastries while you work on the glaze.
05 -
Put the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until it just starts simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes before whisking it into a smooth mixture. Take each filled eclair and dip the tops into the glaze, letting the extra drip off.
# Notes:
01 -
Line your baking sheet with a silicone mat to keep pastries from sticking and bake them evenly.