I wasn’t ever the biggest fan of eclairs growing up. They seemed a little overrated, often tasted eggy and I just couldn’t see myself falling in love with them. But then I made cream puffs with choux pastry and I was so amazed at how good they turned out, it was only a matter of time before I used the same pastry to make eclairs (the possibilities with choux are endless: everything from profiteroles to churros). These guys are filled with lightly sweetened whipped cream, topped with a dark chocolate ganache and are light, airy and pretty unbelievable for something made with very basic ingredients. Let’s bake!

The first time I made these, everything seemed perfect until I realised that in the current monsoon humidity, the eclairs went soft even before I could fill them. So I obsessively Googled every single possible phrase that contained the word ‘choux’ and landed on some helpful tips in this comprehensive Flavour Bender post (seriously, I learned so much!). So while the dough is the same as earlier, I discovered some good ways to check if it’s the right consistency, then upped the baking time to get the eclairs darker and crispier, poked a hole in them as soon as they were done to release steam to prevent them from softening too fast, and let them cool in the oven itself for longer so they didn’t hit the room temperature air too suddenly. I also became a little more generous with the egg wash, encouraging a nicer colour and crispiness on top. I’ll include all of this in the recipe below so I hope it works for you!

Having said that, keep in mind that despite taking super duper amounts of care, choux pastry isn’t the kind that will stay very crisp for too long. And after you fill it, it will absorb more moisture and definitely soften, so honestly, these are best eaten immediately. They can certainly be stored in the fridge and enjoyed for a few more days after as long as you don’t mind losing the crispness. They will remain very airy and light and just lovely.

Eclairs aren’t supposed to be overwhelmingly sweet which is right up my alley. Each element, the choux, the cream and the ganache are very mildly sweetened. Together, the balance is perfect and it’s impossible to not pop them in your mouth one after the other! There’s also no eggy aftertaste thanks to some extra vanilla, yay!

These are not hard to make, they just need a little attention to detail and a little bit of trial and error. A lot like bread-making, choux pastry depends on how humid it is where you live, the kind of flour you use, the size of the eggs and basically, it’s a super sensitive pastry, I won’t lie. But it’s doable and even if your choux isn’t perfect, it’s going to taste great!

I hope you’ll give these a try. Let me know how it goes!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Homemade Eclairs

Eclairs with homemade choux pastry, filled with whipped cream and topped with chocolate ganache

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1 10

Makes: 10 to 12 eclairs

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Ingredients

For the choux pastry

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp (55 gms)
1/4 cup water (60 ml)
1/4 cup whole milk (60 ml)
Pinch of salt if using salted butter
1 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60 gms)
2 tsps tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room temperature (no substitutes)

For the cream filling

1/3 cup whipping cream (80 ml), chilled at least 24 hours
3 tsps icing sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate ganache

3/4 cup cream (190 ml), regular or whipping
50 gms dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped
2 tsps icing sugar

Instructions

In a sturdy saucepan or pot, combine all the choux ingredients, except the flour, vanilla and eggs. Set the pot on low heat and stir until the butter has melted and the mixture comes to a simmer.
Add the flour and use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir the mixture quite fast. It will begin to come together and form a ball at which point keep stirring it around for another minute, pressing it against the sides of the pot to cook the flour.
Take it off the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl or to the bowl of a stand mixer. Spread it out a bit to help it cool faster and set aside for a few minutes.
Now in a small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla together. Then using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or use a hand mixer), pour the eggs slowly into the bowl, mixing on medium-high speed as you go. Pour only half the egg mixture to begin with, at which stage it will look like scrambled eggs but don't panic!
Add the remaining egg mixture till you get a smooth, thick and shiny dough in just a couple of minutes. Depending on the humidity and the size of the eggs, you will most likely not use all of the egg. Keep the remainder aside for the egg wash. The dough will be thick but soft and pipe-able. A good way to check if you've added enough eggs to the dough is to make sure the dough has a glossy appearance and if you stick a spatula in and lift it straight up, the dough will form a V-shape at the end of the spatula. Another test is to run a finger through the dough and the indent shouldn't fill up, it should remain that way.
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat. I tried baking paper, but I had issues with the choux sticking to the paper.
Fill a piping bag with the dough and pipe 10 to 12 four-inch long pieces of the dough, each about an inch wide. Leave some space between each one as they'll puff up in the oven. I used a piping tip, but you can also just a ziplock bag with one corner cut off to a roughly 1/2 inch wide hole.
Dip your finger lightly in some water and smoothen any uneven bits or points on each piece. Brush liberally with the remaining beaten egg, all over the top and sides of each piece.
Bake for 20 minutes at 200 C, then without opening the oven, lower the temperature to 175 C and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes until the eclairs are deeply browned.
When the eclairs are evenly browned, quickly poke each eclair at one end with a toothpick. This helps to release the steam and dry out the insides of the choux pastry so that the eclairs don't get soggy as they cool. Bake for another 5 minutes.
Now leave the oven door partially open and let the eclairs cool for 20 minutes inside. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. When they hit the room temperature air, they will soften a bit, which is why the baking time is longish to help them stay crisp as long as possible.
While the eclairs are baking, make the filling by whipping the cream, sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer or stand mixer, until soft peaks form. It helps to chill your bowl and beaters before whipping and the cream MUST be very, very cold. Keep refrigerated till you're ready to fill the eclairs.
For the chocolate ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a bowl, then heat the cream till hot but not boiling. Pour over the chocolate, stir in the sugar and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Then stir together to melt the chocolate completely into a smooth, slightly runny ganache. Set aside to cool.
Now it's time to assemble! Make sure the eclairs are completely cooled. Put the whipped cream into a piping bag and use the piping tip to widen the hole that you made in each eclair. Fill with the cream till you can feel the eclair puffed out a bit (don't overdo it or they'll explode!), then dip each one in the chocolate, covering the top half. Set on a wire rack with a tray placed underneath to catch any drips.
Eat immediately! Or chill the eclairs for 10 minutes to let the ganache firm up a bit. Keep in mind that the longer you store the filled eclairs, the more they will soften so these taste best eaten as soon as possible. Store in an airtight tin in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Happy baking!

Notes

*These eclairs are not super sweet. So if you prefer them sweeter, add more sugar to the whipped cream and use milk chocolate instead of dark.

*The ganache is runnier than average and will make more than you need. However, this consistency and quantity makes it easier to dip the eclairs. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a week.

*Once baked, you can freeze the empty choux pastry 'shells' for about a month. Crisp them up in the oven at 175 C for about 10 mins, then let them cool and fill as desired.

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