Chocolate Eclair

Crisp, puffed choux pastry filled with silky milk pastry cream and dipped in glossy dark chocolate. The patisserie classic, made at home.

Ingredients

• 250 g (1 cup) water
• 120 g butter
• 180 g white flour
• 310 g (6) eggs
• 3 g (1/2 tsp) salt
• 500 g (2 cups) whole milk
• 120 g sugar
• 25 g (2 1/2 tbsp) cornstarch
• 100 g dark chocolate
• 60 g heavy cream

Instructions

1. 1

   For the dough, bring the water, butter and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides into a ball.

2. 2

   Transfer to a bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time; the dough should be glossy and fall from a spoon in a V shape.

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Pipe the dough into 10-12 cm logs on parchment-lined trays. Bake at 200 °C for 20 minutes, then at 180 °C for 15 minutes until deep golden and dry; do not open the oven for the first 25 minutes. Cool on a rack.

4. 4

   For the pastry cream, whisk the milk, sugar and cornstarch together cold in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 8-10 minutes until thick. Press plastic wrap onto the surface and cool completely.

5. 5

   For the glaze, heat the cream until just boiling and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Wait 1 minute, then stir until smooth and glossy.

6. 6

   Whisk the cooled pastry cream until smooth. Poke two small holes in the bottom of each eclair and pipe in the cream.

7. 7

   Dip the top of each eclair into the chocolate and let the excess drip off. Chill for 15 minutes to set before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving