Eclair Cake

Chocolate Eclairs

Chocolate Eclairs

Ingredients

Makes 20 Eclairs

Choux Pastry for the Eclairs

• 8 fl oz water
• 4 oz unsalted butter
• ½ tsp kosher salt use less, if you’re using fine salt or table salt
• 1 tbsp granulated white sugar
• 5 oz bread flour sifted (or AP flour, I prefer bread flour for eclairs)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
• 8 oz eggs about 4 large eggs

Filling for the Eclairs

• 1 ½ batches of Vanilla Pastry Cream

OR

• 1 ½ batches of Chocolate Pastry Cream

Chocolate Glaze

• 12 oz semisweet chocolate
• 6 fl oz whipping cream ¾ cup
• a generous pinch of kosher salt
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp corn syrup optional

Method

1. Choux Pastry
2. Preheat oven to 375°F
3. Place the water, butter, salt and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium heat while stirring occasionally
4. (Make sure the salt and sugar dissolve completely in the warm water, and the butter melts BEFORE the water comes to a boil)
5. As soon as the water comes to a boil (with a few bubbles breaking through the surface), move the pot away from the stove and add all of the sifted flour into the boiling liquid
6. Using a wooden spoon or a heat-proof silicone spatula, stir the mixture vigorously to allow the flour to absorb all the water and form a ball of dough, and remove any flour clumps in the dough
7. After about 45 – 60 seconds of mixing, return the saucepan to the stove (with medium heat), and let the dough cook for a further 2 – 3 minutes while stirring and mixing
8. Do this until you see a film of dough forming on the bottom of your saucepan (please note that this only occurs with stainless steel saucepans, not in non-stick saucepans)
9. Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the dough into a large mixing bowl
10. Mix the dough gently, for about 2 – 3 minutes, to release the steam and to let it cool down (lower than 160°F)
11. Alternatively, you can flatten the dough along the wall of the mixing bowl and let it cool down for a few minutes
12. Crack all the eggs into a jug and whisk well to combine
13. When the dough has cooled down, mix in the vanilla (I don’t use vanilla, but you can if you like)
14. Next add the eggs in 5 – 6 additions, mixing each addition well into the dough before adding more
15. You can use a stand mixer or a spatula to mix in the eggs
16. Stop adding eggs when the dough starts to get a sheen, and looks glossy
17. Please read the post for more details
18. Then check for the right dough consistency with the choux pastry test (detailed in the post)
19. Place the dough in a 16 inch pastry bag and secure the bag opening, and set it aside until you get the baking trays ready
20. Line a baking tray with a silpat mat
21. Also have a bowl of water and a bowl of confectioner’s sugar with a small mesh strainer ready as well
22. Fit a different pastry bag with a ½ inch French star tip
23. Then snip the end off of the choux pastry bag from the previous step, and place that in the bag with the French star tip
24. Hold the pastry bag at a 45° angle, with the French star tip touching the silpat
25. Pipe 8 – 10 eclairs (4 – 5 inches in length) on the silpat lined baking tray
26. When piping, make sure the ends are a little larger than the middle portion of the eclairs
27. Twist the piping tip at the end so that you end with a slightly pointed/jagged end
28. Dip your finger in water and pat the ends of the eclairs to flatten the pointed ends
29. Sift some confectioner’s sugar over the eclairs
30. Place the baking tray in the middle rack of your oven, and set the timer to 25 minutes
31. After 25 minutes, check if the eclairs have turned golden brown
32. If they have, then open the oven door and quickly prick each of the eclairs with a sharp toothpick or skewer on one end
33. Close the oven door and let the eclairs bake for a further 5 – 10 minutes until they turn a darker golden color
34. You want the eclairs to be baked a little longer so that they hold their shape better
35. Remove them from the oven, and immediately prick the eclair cases on the other end
36. Let them cool down for about 10 minutes on the baking tray and then transfer them onto a wire rack
37. Pipe more eclairs on the second silpat lined baking tray and bake
38. Repeat until you have used up all of your choux pastry
39. Once the eclairs have cooled down, they are ready to be filled
40. If you’re filling them later, place the unfilled shells in an air-tight container and freeze for later