Ingredients
- For the choux pastry:
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- For the vanilla pastry cream:
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla powder
- For the chocolate glaze:
- 120 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil, then add the flour all at once. Stir until dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each until the dough is smooth and glossy.
- Transfer dough to a piping bag with a plain tip. Pipe 4-inch lines on the baking sheet, spacing them apart.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F, then reduce to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and puffed. Cool completely.
- For the pastry cream, heat milk until steaming. In a bowl, whisk sugar, cornstarch, and yolks until smooth. Slowly add hot milk while whisking. Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and chill until cold.
- For the glaze, heat cream until hot but not boiling. Pour over chocolate and butter. Let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
- Fill cooled éclairs with chilled pastry cream using a piping bag. Dip tops in chocolate glaze and let set before serving.
Notes
- Let choux pastry bake fully to prevent collapsing.
- Pastry cream can be made ahead and chilled up to 2 days.
- Dip éclairs gently into the glaze for a smooth finish.
- Unfilled shells can be stored or frozen for later use.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 éclair
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
