Foolproof Chocolate Eclairs (Éclairs aux Chocolat)

Instructions

Preparing the Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

Before beginning, prepare and measure out all ingredients. You will need to whisk constantly and will not want the pastry cream to sit still and possibly curdle.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch until well combined and no lumps remain. Add in egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is light yellow and forms a slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface when you lift your whisk out of the mixture. Set aside.
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
5 large egg yolks, at room temperature
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine milk and salt. Set over medium heat until tepid.
2 cups whole milk
¼ tsp kosher salt
Whisking constantly, slowly pour the tepid milk into the large bowl with the egg yolk mixture — just a few dribbles at a time (at first), so as not to heat the egg yolks too quickly and cause the mixture to curdle!
Transfer the egg yolk/milk mixture back into the saucepan and return it to medium heat. Whisking constantly, cook the mixture until it becomes very thick and begins to bubble. (You can stop whisking momentarily to check if the mixture is bubbling.) Continue to cook the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes after it begins to bubble.
Note: It is very important to cook your pastry cream long enough to both activate the cornstarch and deactivate an enzyme in the egg yolks that can cause the pastry cream to break down and become runny after cooling.
Once it has bubbled for 1 to 2 minutes, remove saucepan from heat and immediately stir in cubed butter and vanilla. Continue whisking until all of the butter has dissolved.
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cubed
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream so that it does not form a skin as it sits. Allow to cool on a cooling wrack for 30 minutes, before transferring it to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preparing the Eclair Shells (Pâte à Choux)

Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a sheet pan with a perforated baking mat or a piece of parchment paper.
In a small bowl, prepare the egg wash mixture by whisking together 1 egg yolk and 1 Tbsp of heavy cream (or milk) until well combined. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture begins to boil.
½ cup milk
½ cup water
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
Add in the flour (all at once). With a large wooden spoon, stir gently so as not to slosh any of the flour out of the pan. Once the flour has been fully incorporated, stir vigorously, pressing the mixture against the sides of the saucepan with the wooden spoon. (It will eventually come together in a mass.) Stirring constantly, continue to cook dough until it appears glossy and a skin forms on the bottom of the pan. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. (The goal is to cook out as much of the moisture from the dough as possible.)
1 cup all-purpose flour
Empty the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until most of the steam has escaped from the dough (about 1 to 2 minutes).
With the mixer still on low, add in 4 eggs, one at a time. The dough will appear lumpy - that’s OK! Once all the eggs are incorporated, increase the speed to high and mix until the dough comes together (about 1 to 2 minutes more).
Note: The choux dough should be glossy, thick, and form a “V” shape as it slowly drips from the paddle or spoon. If the dough is too stiff, beat an extra egg in a small bowl and add it to the dough a little at a time until it reaches the right consistency. However, if you are ever in doubt, a slightly stiff choux dough is better than a runny one!
Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a French star tip (approximately ½" opening diameter). Alternatively, spoon the dough into a large resealable plastic bag and cut one of the corners to form a hole that is about ½" in diameter.
Holding the piping bag at a 45° angle, pipe the eclairs — at least 2" apart (to allow them to "puff" up and for air to circulate around them) — into a log shape about ½" to ¾" wide by 5" long.
Note: If you are not using a French star tip, run the tines of a fork along each "log" to achieve the same fine, deep-groove effect. The grooves help the eclairs rise evenly in the oven.
Brush each eclair with the prepared egg wash.
Bake the eclairs in the centre of 425℉ oven for 15 minutes. (Do not open the oven door during this time.) After 15 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake until eclairs turn a golden brown (about 10 to 15 minutes more). (Near the end of the baking time, you can open the oven to test doneness. To do so, tap the tops of the eclair shells. They should feel solid and crusty, not squishy.)
Note: I recommend baking one sheet pan of eclair shells at a time (as opposed to multiple batches at once). Just be sure to reheat the oven to 425℉ between each batch.
Set the baked eclair shells on a wire rack to begin cooling. Once cool enough to handle, using a ¼" piping tip (or sharp knife), poke 2 holes in the bottom of each shell about ⅓ of the way in from each end. Set eclairs back on the cooling rack, but upside down (with the holes facing up to allow steam to escape), and allow them to cool completely before filling.

Filling the Eclair Shells

Remove chilled pastry cream from the refrigerator. (By now, it will have set and appear gelatinous in texture — that's OK!) Using a wire whisk, vigorously whisk the pastry cream for a few minutes until it has smoothed out again.
Spoon the pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a ¼" piping tip. Alternatively, spoon the pastry cream into a large resealable plastic bag and cut one of the corners to form a hole that is about ¼" in diameter.
Holding each eclair shell in one hand and the bag of pastry cream in the other, pipe each shell with pastry cream through the 2 holes in the bottom of each shell. Set the filled shells in the refrigerator — either on a baking sheet or large plate(s) — while preparing the chocolate ganache.

Preparing the Chocolate Ganache

In a small saucepan (but large enough to dip the eclairs), combine heavy cream, butter, corn syrup, and coffee liqueur (optional). Set over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is hot, but not bubbling.
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 Tbsp Kahlúa coffee liqueur
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly.
Add in the chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate chunks), and allow them to sit in the hot mixture until fully melted (about 5 minutes).
5 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chopped into ¼" chunks
Gently stir the mixture until the chocolate is smooth and shiny. If you have larger pieces of chocolate that didn’t melt, set the pan on very low heat just until fully melted.
Remove the filled eclair shells from the refrigerator and dip each one into the chocolate ganache. Set the dipped eclairs back onto the baking sheet or large plate(s) and back into the refrigerator.
Chill, uncovered, until the chocolate on top of each eclair has set (at least 2 hours). Serve chilled.
Storing instructions: Store any leftover eclairs in the refrigerator in airtight containers lined with paper towel (to absorb moisture/condensation and prevent them from getting soggy) for up to 3 days.
Freezing instructions: Set any leftover eclairs on a baking sheet or large plate(s) in the freezer, uncovered, until frozen solid. Once frozen, transfer eclairs to airtight containers and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, allow eclairs to thaw in the refrigerator.

Foolproof Chocolate Eclairs (Éclairs aux Chocolat)

Ingredients

For the Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

For the Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux)

For the Chocolate Ganache

Equipment

Instructions

Preparing the Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

Preparing the Eclair Shells (Pâte à Choux)

Filling the Eclair Shells

Preparing the Chocolate Ganache

Nutrition

Foolproof Chocolate Eclairs (Éclairs aux Chocolat)

Ingredients 1x2x3x

For the Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

For the Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux)

For the Chocolate Ganache

Equipment

Instructions

Preparing the Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

Preparing the Eclair Shells (Pâte à Choux)

Filling the Eclair Shells

Preparing the Chocolate Ganache

Nutrition

Ingredients