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Homemade Eclairs Recipe

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4.5 from 7 reviews

Learn how to make classic homemade eclairs with a rich pastry cream filling, light and airy choux pastry, and a luscious chocolate ganache topping. This recipe walks you through preparing the components and assembling elegant eclairs that will impress at any occasion.

Ingredients

Pastry Cream Filling

  • 4 large egg yolks, cold or room temperature
  • 3 Tablespoons (23g) cornstarch
  • 2 cups (480ml) whole milk (do not use low-fat or nondairy)
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean or extra 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • small pinch salt

Choux Pastry

  • 1 batch choux pastry dough (prepared separately through step 4)
  • Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk or water

Chocolate Ganache Topping

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
  • 4 ounces (113g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Prepare Pastry Cream Filling: In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until thick and combined, adding a few drops of milk if necessary. In a saucepan, combine milk and sugar, heat until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers, then temper the yolk mixture by slowly whisking in the hot milk. Strain mixture back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened and custard-like, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla, vanilla bean seeds, and salt. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  2. Prepare Choux Pastry Dough: Make choux pastry dough through step 4 of your recipe base, then use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.
  3. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush with water to maintain humidity for puffing.
  4. Pipe Pastry Shells: Transfer choux dough to a piping bag fitted with a large tip and pipe 4-inch logs spaced 3 inches apart. Smooth peaks with a water-moistened finger and brush logs with egg wash.
  5. Bake Pastry Shells: Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 12 minutes until golden brown. Do not open oven during baking. Remove and cool on a rack completely.
  6. Make Chocolate Ganache: Heat heavy cream until it just begins to simmer, pour over chopped chocolate, let sit 2–3 minutes, then stir until smooth. Cool for 15 minutes to thicken.
  7. Fill Eclairs: Fill a piping bag with chilled pastry cream fitted with a small round or star tip. Prick a hole at the end of each pastry and pipe cream inside until full, filling from both ends if needed. Alternatively, slice pastry in half and fill.
  8. Top with Ganache: Dip the top of each filled eclair into the cooled ganache and place on a plate or rack. Allow ganache to set about 1 hour at room temperature or 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  9. Store: Keep filled eclairs refrigerated for up to 3 days. Store unfilled shells at room temperature for 1 day, refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 3 months, thaw before filling.

Notes

  • Use whole milk for best flavor and texture in the pastry cream; low-fat or nondairy milk will not yield the proper consistency.
  • Brushing parchment with water helps create a humid environment ensuring the puff pastry shells rise properly without drying.
  • Do not open the oven during baking to prevent the shells from collapsing.
  • Use a large piping tip for shaping choux and a smaller tip for filling the eclairs to control the amount of filling.
  • Ganache consistency varies with temperature; allow it to cool properly to get the perfect thickness for dipping.
  • Pastry cream requires chilling time; plan ahead to make filling in advance.
  • Leftover choux dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking.
  • Freeze unfilled shells for longer storage, but always thaw before filling and serving.

Find it online: https://hotsavors.com/homemade-eclairs-recipe/