- 16
Ingredients
- For the Pate a Choux:
- Makes about 16 puffs or éclairs
- 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk, mixed with a tablespoon of water, for the egg wash
- Pearl sugar, to top, if desired
- For the Pastry Cream:
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, heavy cream, or a mix
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Ganache:
- Dark chocolate
- Heavy cream
- Chocolate Ganache Proportions:
- These proportions are based on weight. For example, a 1:1 ratio means 4 ounces chocolate to 4 ounces cream.
- Layer cake filling and thick glaze: 1:1, equal parts chocolate and cream.
- Chocolate truffles: 2:1, two parts chocolate to one part cream.
- Soft icing and pourable glaze: 1:2, one part chocolate to two parts cream.
- For the Eclairs:
- 1 batch pâte à choux
- 1 batch pastry cream
- 1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped pieces
- 1/3 cup (3 ounces) heavy cream
- Rainbow spinkles
Preparation
Step 1
For the Pate a Choux:
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or baking mats. Cut the butter into small pieces — this makes sure it melts quickly and evenly.
2. Bring the butter, water, and salt to a rolling boil: Combine the butter, water, and salt in a saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. The butter should be completely melted by the time the water comes to a boil; if not, reduce the heat until the butter has melted to avoid too much water evaporating, then bring it back to a boil.
3. Add the flour: Take the pan off the heat and add the flour all at once.
4. Stir vigorously to form a dough: Make sure all the flour is worked into the dough and no more dry flour remains. Once ready, the dough will resemble mashed potatoes.
5. Cook the dough on the stove: Place the pan back over medium heat. Stir the dough, mashing it against the sides and bottom of the pan and then gathering it up into a ball again — this dries out the dough and cooks the flour. Some starchy buildup on the bottom of the pan is normal. Continue cooking the dough for 3 to 5 minutes. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the pan to form a ball, the surface looks shiny and glossy, and it's thick enough that you can stand a spoon upright in the middle.
6. Cool the dough: Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until the dough is just warm to the touch. The outside of the bowl should also be just slightly warm to the touch. Alternatively, you can cool the dough by hand with a stiff spatula.
7. Add three of the eggs: Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl. With the mixer on medium-low, add the eggs to the dough in four separate additions. (This can also be done by hand with a stiff spatula.) As each addition is worked in, the dough will at first become stringy and goopy, then will form back together into a soft dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed between each addition.
8. Check the dough: After the third addition, check the dough before adding the fourth. When the paste is ready, the dough should be soft, creamy-colored, and very smooth. It should also hold its shape when scooped. If you scoop up a little bit with your spatula and let it slide back into the bowl, it should leave behind a little "V" of dough on the spatula. Add the fourth egg, or just half of the fourth egg, if needed.
For Pastry Cream:
1. Warm the milk: Warm the milk in the saucepan until you start to see wisps of steam. It should not actually be boiling.
2. Make the egg-sugar base: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the egg yolks and whisk them into the dry ingredients. This will form a thick paste. It's fine if the paste looks crumbly or smooth; the important thing is that the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
3. Add the milk to the egg mixture: Pour a little of the hot milk into the eggs and whisk to combine. Continue pouring the milk slowly into the eggs, whisking continuously. It's OK to switch back and forth between pouring milk and whisking if you can't manage both at the same time.
4. Pour everything back in the pan: When all the milk has been added to the eggs, pour everything back into the saucepan. Set a strainer over a bowl and place this near the stove.
5. Heat the pastry cream: Set the pan back over medium heat. Whisk constantly. At first, the pastry cream will look very thin and frothy, but it will start to thicken after a few minutes. When it has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, pause whisking every few seconds to see if the cream has come to a boil. If you see large bubbles popping on the surface, whisk for a few more seconds and then remove the pan from heat.
6. Strain and cool the pastry cream: Stir the vanilla into the pastry cream and then pour the cream into the strainer set over the bowl. Stir to push it through the strainer. This will catch any bits of cooked egg that may be in your pastry cream.
7. Cover and store: Cover the pastry cream with a piece of plastic wrap pressed right up against the surface of the cream and chill completely.
Recipe Notes:
•Pastry cream will keep for several days in the refrigerator. Make sure that it is covered with plastic wrap touching the surface (this prevents the pastry cream from forming a skin).
•For a lighter pastry cream, whip a half cup of heavy cream until it forms soft peaks and fold it into the pastry cream when it's no longer piping hot, but not yet completely chilled.
•You can make a half batch or a double batch of pastry cream. Use the ingredients in this recipe as a ratio.
Ganache:
1. Weigh the chocolate: Weigh out the amount of chocolate called for in your recipe. If you aren't following a recipe, start with a small amount and make more as needed.
2. Measure the cream: Based on the ratio chart above and how you're intending to use the ganache, weigh the amount of cream needed for the ganache in a separate bowl.
3. Heat the cream: Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place it over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Keep an eye on the cream — it's not necessary to boil or simmer it. It just needs to get hot. The cream is ready when you can place a finger in the cream and keep it there for 3 to 4 seconds. Turn off the flame and remove the cream from the stove.
4. Chop the chocolate: While the cream is heating, chop the chocolate into fine pieces.
5. Add the chocolate: Scoop the chocolate into the cream. Stir gently to distribute the chocolate through the cream and then let it sit for a few minutes to give the chocolate time to soften and melt.
6. Stir the mixture: With a spatula or wooden spoon, stir the ganache. At first it might look spotty and broken but keep stirring until it comes together in a creamy mass.
7. Cool the ganache: Cool the ganache as specified in your recipe, or as described here:
• If you plan on pouring the ganache over a cake, pie, or pastry, it will need to be loose enough to flow but thickened enough to stay on the pastry.
•To whip the ganache for frosting or for layer cake filling, cool the ganache until it is thick, but still soft, and then beat in a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer, until the ganache is fluffy and has lightened in color, about 1 or 2 minutes.
•To use the ganache make truffles, you may need to set the pan in the refrigerator so the ganache cools. Remove the pan every 5 minutes or so and stir so that the ganache cools evenly. As the chocolate begins to stiffen, stir it more frequently — it will go from soft to very hard quite suddenly. (If this happens, soften the ganache over gently simmering water, stirring until you've reached the right consistency again.)
Assembly:
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or baking mats.
2. Make the pâte à choux: Prepare the pâte à choux following these instructions.
3. Pipe the pâte à choux into eclair shapes: Transfer the prepared pâte à choux to a piping bag fit with a large round tip, or transfer to a zip-top bag and snip off the end. Pipe small finger-length eclairs or larger, double-wide eclairs, as desired.
4. Bake the eclair shells: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until puffed. Without opening the oven, turn down the temperature to 375°F and bake for another 18 to 20 minutes, until golden-brown and dry to the touch. Lower the heat again to 300°F, and let the eclair shells dry out for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, pierce with a toothpick, and cool completely. (The shells can be kept in an airtight container for a few days, or frozen for up to 3 months.)
5. Make the pastry cream: Prepare the pastry cream following these instructions. Use the pastry cream as soon as its chilled, or refrigerate for up to three days. Make sure to press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.
6. Fill the eclairs with pastry cream: Poke a hole into either end of the eclair using a pastry tip or a chopstick. Transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag fit with a large round tip. Insert the tip of the pastry bag into one end of the eclair and fill part way. Insert the pastry bag into the other end and fill the second half. Repeat with all the eclair shells.
7. Make the chocolate glaze: Transfer the chocolate to a heatproof bowl. Warm the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it's steaming, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it stand for a minute or two, then stir to form a thick, glossy glaze.
8. Dip the eclairs in chocolate: Dip the tops of the eclairs in chocolate. Set them on a cooling rack and top with sprinkles, if using. Allow the glaze to set. Eclairs are best
eaten on the same day they are made.
Recipe Note
• Alternative piping bag: If you don't have a piping bag or don't want to fuss with one, just transfer the choux paste to a large zip-top bag when it's time to pipe. Snip off a quarter-inch from one of the corners and proceed with piping. Same goes for when it's time to fill the eclairs with pastry cream!
• Alternative to piping: Don't feel like piping at all? Just cut the eclair shells open down one side, like a hot dog bun, and scoop spoonfuls of pastry cream inside.
• Change it up! This recipe makes a classic eclair, but you can easily change things up by flavoring the pastry cream with coffee, chocolate, lemon, or any other flavorings. You can also glaze the top with a vanilla glaze, or vanilla glaze flavored with a favorite extract.
Per serving, based on 6 servings. (% daily value)
Calories 191 Fat 11.9 g (18.3%) Saturated 7.4 g (36.8%) Trans 0.1 g Carbs 19.8 g (6.6%) Fiber 0.8 g (3.1%) Sugars 18.1 g
Protein 1.6 g (3.3%) Cholesterol 23.7 mg (7.9%) Sodium 24.7 mg (1%)