Chocolate eclairs
This might appear to be a straightforward recipe: choux pastry, chocolate confectioner's custard and fondant icing, but in practice it is quite technically tricky and all three stages need care to produce a perfect result.
But don't let that discourage you; there are demonstration videos and I will take you through the whole process, paying particular attention to the most difficult stages.
But don't let that discourage you; there are demonstration videos and I will take you through the whole process, paying particular attention to the most difficult stages.
233,640 34.4/5 for 37 ratings
Last modified on: February 6th 2011
For 20 eclairs, you will need:
- 1
250 ml milk - 2
3 egg yolks - 3
20 g caster sugar - 4
20 g cornflour - 5
80 g chocolate - 6 70 ml milk
- 7
70 ml water - 8
60 g butter - 9
70 g flour - 10
2 eggs - 11
½ teaspoon salt - 12 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 13
250 g fondant icing - 14
1 teaspoon powdered cocoa - Total weight: 1,063 grams
How long does it take?
Time required for this recipe:
| Preparation | Resting | Cooking | Start to finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours 37 min. | 50 min. | 25 min. | 3 hours 52 min. |
At what time?
- When will I finish if I start the recipe at a certain time?
When should I start for the recipe to be ready at a certain time?
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 35 min.
Prepare a confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière) with 250 ml milk, 3 egg yolks, 20 g caster sugar et 20 g cornflour. Stop cooking as soon as it begins to thicken, there's no need to overcook it.
You will notice that this recipe is less sweet than the usual version. This is because we will be adding chocolate.
As soon as the custard is cooked, tip in 80 g chocolate broken into small pieces (you can also use chocolate chips).
You will notice that this recipe is less sweet than the usual version. This is because we will be adding chocolate.
As soon as the custard is cooked, tip in 80 g chocolate broken into small pieces (you can also use chocolate chips).
Stage 2 - 20 min.
Mix thoroughly until you have a prefectly smooth chocolate custard.
Cover and leave to cool with the base of the pan standing in cold water to speed this up.
Set aside.
Cover and leave to cool with the base of the pan standing in cold water to speed this up.
Set aside.
Stage 3 - 35 min.
Prepare a choux pastry with 70 ml milk, 70 ml water, 60 g butter, 70 g flour, 2 eggs, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon caster sugar.
Stage 4 - 5 min.
Cut a sheet of cooking parchment to the size of your baking sheet, and mark lines with a ruler about 8 cm (3 inches) long, a few centimeters apart.
These are to help you pipe the eclairs to the right length.
These are to help you pipe the eclairs to the right length.
Stage 5 - 2 min.
Stage 6 - 10 min.
Using a forcing bag with a n°10 (10 mm diameter) nozzle, pipe "sausages" of choux pastry 8 cm long following the marks you have drawn.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
Round off the inevitable imperfections with the back of a small spoon dipped in milk.
Stage 8 - 20 min.
Continue until all the choux pastry has been used up, preparing more sheets if necessary. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the eclairs are golden.
Stage 9 - 30 min.
Remove from the sheet and leave to cool on a rack.
Stage 10
Now comes the first tricky stage: filling the eclairs with the chocolate custard.
Use a new forcing bag with a special "filling" nozzle.
Use a new forcing bag with a special "filling" nozzle.
Stage 11
When you have filled the bag with custard, take an eclair in your hand and at one end on the top surface, push the nozzle the full length (in the direction of the arrow).
Note: By piercing the top with the nozzle, the hole will be covered by the icing, leaving a perfectly smooth eclair.
Note: By piercing the top with the nozzle, the hole will be covered by the icing, leaving a perfectly smooth eclair.
Stage 12
Press on the bag to inject the custard, and at the same time, withdraw the nozzle gradually while continuing to fill.
Stage 13
Finish by removing the nozzle when the eclair is completely filled with custard (if it overflows a little, that's normal and shows that it is properly filled).
Stage 14
The short video opposite shows how to fill your eclairs.
Stage 15 - 30 min.
Do this for all the eclairs.
Stage 16 - 5 min.
Melt 250 g fondant icing in a bain-marie while stirring. If you have a thermometer, check that the temperature does not exceed (or barely) 40°C (104°F).
Stage 17 - 5 min.
At this point add 1 teaspoon powdered cocoa and continue stirring until you have a smooth brown icing.
Stage 18
Now comes the second tricky stage: icing.
Remove the bowl of icing from the bain-marie and place on a tea-towel folded in 4.
Take an eclair and dip the top in the icing.
Remove the bowl of icing from the bain-marie and place on a tea-towel folded in 4.
Take an eclair and dip the top in the icing.
Stage 19
Lift the eclair and turn it to remove any excess icing, then stand it level immediately as the icing sets very quickly.
Stage 20
The short video opposite shows how to ice your eclairs.
Stage 21 - 30 min.
Do this for all the eclairs.
Keep in the fridge, but take them out an hour before serving so that they are not too cold.
Keep in the fridge, but take them out an hour before serving so that they are not too cold.
Remarks
You might well be surprised to see that your icing doesn't have the same deep chocolate colour as on eclairs that you buy, but I think commercial bakers must use a special colouring to achieve this (too) rich colour.
You can vary the flavours and make classic coffee eclairs, of course, but give your imagination free rein. I recommend you try lemon eclairs (lemon-flavoured custard and yellow icing), surprising with their yellow colour and, above all, their distinctive taste.
You can vary the flavours and make classic coffee eclairs, of course, but give your imagination free rein. I recommend you try lemon eclairs (lemon-flavoured custard and yellow icing), surprising with their yellow colour and, above all, their distinctive taste.
Nutritional information
How much will it cost?
- For 20 eclairs : 3.25 €
- Per eclairs : 0.16 €
Source
Home made.More recipes?
This recipe uses (among others) | Fondant icing: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Chinois, Arizona cupcakes, ... All |
| Milk: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Prune Far, Chocolate sauce, Cornmeal baps for Anne, Deep leek and potato quiche, Potimarron (Japanese chestnut pumpkin) purée, ... All |
| Chocolate: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Brownie, Chocolate cream with a crunch, irish coffee mousse, Chocolate almond cookies, Chocolate mousse, Chocolate madeleines, ... All |
| Flour: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Rum babas, Almond mug cake for Mary, Grapefruit moelleux, Foie gras fingers, Two-olive ciabatta, ... All |
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