Eclairs

Éclairs are my dad’s favourite dessert and thus a necessity in my cooking repertoire. 

Here’s one from a batch I made for Father’s Day this year (the rest got eaten before I could snap some shots!).

They are quite easy to make, but they do entail multiple steps.  So be sure to have plenty of time to tackle the recipe.  I actually made the bases a few nights ahead of Father’s Day as I knew I wouldn’t have time the morning of, since we would be hosting a family brunch.  I took the bases out of the freezer that morning and made the fillings and topping a short while later.

When making the Choux Paste, it will look strange once you start adding the eggs (see picture below).  Just keep stirring with the wooden spoon and I promise it will all come together.  I forewarn that it’s a great arm workout ;)

A word of caution – for my dad’s birthday last month I whipped up another batch of éclairs.  This time though, I decided to make mini bite size versions.  Don’t!  They were so finicky and a pain to fill, so I suggest making regular size versions to avoid any headaches.

Having been a while since I made the last batch of éclairs, I couldn’t recall whether my dad preferred a pastry or Chantilly cream filling – so I made both.  All variations were really yummy, but the best turned out to be a combo of the two.

Be sure to let your ganache cool enough so that it doesn't drip off the éclairs. 

Hope you enjoy!

Éclairs

Yields 12

Preparation Time – 20 Minutes

Cooking Time – 1 Hour

Ingredients – Pate a choux

• 1 cup water
• 100 g unsalted butter – cut into small cubes
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 3 Eggs
• Milk – for brushing

Preparation – Éclair Base

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a small pot set over medium high heat, combine water and butter, bring to a boil. 
4. Off the heat, dump the flour mixture into the pot and stir until the dough forms a ball. 
5. Return the pot over low heat and continue stirring constantly until the dough dries a little and leaves a little film on the bottom of the pan.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 3 minutes.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well with the wooden spoon until combined.  The mixture will look separated when you first add the eggs, this is normal.  Continue stirring vigorously until silky and thickened.
7. Fill a piping bag and pipe 3 ½ inch lines with an approx. 1.5 inch piping bag opening.  Brush with milk.  Yields 12 éclairs.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat 350 and continue cooking for 25 more minutes.  Turn off the oven, pop oven door open with a wooden spoon and allow the centers to dry and the éclairs to cool off.  Use now or freeze for future use.

Ingredients – Pastry Cream

• 1 Cup Milk
• 25 ml (1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp.) Sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean split in half and seeds scraped
• Pinch salt
• 2 egg yolks - room temperature
• 25 ml (1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp.) Sugar
• 25 ml (1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp.) Cornstarch

Preparation – Pastry Cream

1. In a small pot, combine milk, 25 ml sugar, salt, vanilla bean and seeds.  Heat over medium until scalding.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks until smooth.
3. Temper the milk and continue whisking until fully incorporated.
4. Return liquid to pot, and heat over medium high, whisking constantly, until thickened.  Approx. 3 minutes. 
5. Off heat, whisk in butter pieces.
6. Cover directly on top of mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold - 2 hours or overnight.
7. Keeps for 3 days

Ingredients – Ganache

• 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate – finely chopped
• ½ cup 35% cream

Preparation – Ganache

1. In a small pot, heat cream until scalding.
2. Pour cream over chocolate and allow to sit a few minutes before stirring until smooth. 

Assembling – Éclairs

1. Cut a small hole in the end of the éclair and pipe the pastry cream into the éclair until full.  Set aside and continue with the remaining shells.
2. Dip éclairs in chocolate and place on cooling rack to set.
3. Best eaten day of.

* Notes

• Made for father’s day 2014 as it’s my dad’s favourite :) 
• Choux paste adapted from French Food at Home’s Gougères recipe.
• Pastry cream adapted from Martha Stewart.
• Ganache is from Martha Stewart. 
• Made half with pastry cream and the other half with Chantilly cream.