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.
3 hours 55 min.
Average
40 eclairs
14 IngredientsLast modified on: February 6th 2011
For 40 eclairs, you will need:
- 1
500 ml Milk - 2
6 egg yolks - 3
40 ml caster sugar - 4
38.8 ml cornflour - 5
200 ml dark chocolate - 6 140 ml Milk
- 7
140 ml water - 8
124 ml butter - 9
218.4 ml flour - 10
4 eggs - 11
1 teaspoon salt - 12 2 teaspoons caster sugar
- 13
500 ml fondant icing - 14
2 teaspoons powdered cocoa
Change these quantities to make:
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Times for this recipe
Preparation: 2 hours 40 min.
Resting: 50 min.
Cooking: 25 min.
All in all: 3 hours 55 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 35 min.
Prepare a confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière) with 500 ml Milk, 6 egg yolks, 40 ml caster sugar et 38.8 ml 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 200 ml dark 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 200 ml dark 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 140 ml Milk, 140 ml water, 124 ml butter, 218.4 ml flour, 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons 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 500 ml 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 2 teaspoons 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.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 100 RDI=40 % | 810 RDI=80 % | 240 RDI=40 % | 5,840 RDI=290 % | 24,440 RDI: 290 % |
| Per 100 g | 4 RDI=2 % | 40 RDI=4 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 270 RDI=10 % | 1,150 RDI: 10 % |
| Per eclairs | 2 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 6 RDI=1 % | 150 RDI=7 % | 610 RDI: 7 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 40 eclairs : 6.50 €
- Per eclairs : 0.20 €
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Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Fondant icing
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Milk
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Dark chocolate
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Flour
Like these other recipes: Nanou's chocolate cake, How to succeed in making sabayon (syllabub), Naan, Fougasse with bacon and Comté, Dublin fruit scones, ... See them all 202
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