Chocolate Eclairs made with a pâte à choux dough and silky vanilla pastry cream filling, topped with a simple chocolate glaze. This recipe is simple and easy to follow.
In a medium pot, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and egg yolks together until well combined.
Slowly pour the milk mixture into the sugar mixture while whisking to remove any clumps. Add the butter.
Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until bubbles start to burst through the surface. Once boiling, continue to cook while whisking for a full minute. The pastry cream will become thick like pudding. It should register 200°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla paste until well combined.
Press the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bits of egg that may have scrambled.
Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using it.
Make the eclairs
Measure out all the ingredients and have them set out on your work surface. Use weight measurements for best results.
Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium stainless steel pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the butter melts completely and the mixture comes to a full boil.
Add all of the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until no traces of dry flour are visible.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, until the paste pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball. You will notice a skin has formed on the bottom of the pot.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool, stirring occasionally, until the paste feels slightly warm to the touch. If it's too hot it will cook the eggs and ruin the pastries.
Add about ⅓ of the eggs and use the wooden spoon to vigorously mix until smooth and creamy. The dough will break but it will slowly become creamy. Once the dough is smooth and creamy, add another ⅓ of the eggs. Mix until the dough become smooth and creamy again then mix in the final ⅓ eggs. Stir until the mixture becomes smooth, stiff, and shiny. (You may not need all the eggs. Test the batter as you go. It should fall off the spoon in a v-shaped ribbon. Or drag your finger along the surface of the dough to create a trough. If the sides stay up, the dough has enough egg.) Set aside to cool while the oven preheats.
Set the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F for 45 minutes before baking.
Fit a large piping bag with a French star piping tip. Fill the bag with the dough and push the dough to the tip.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use a little of the dough in the corners to secure the parchment paper in place.
Holding the pastry bag at a 45° angle, pipe lines of dough about 4 to 5-inches long and space them about 3-inches apart.
Use a moistened fingertip to gently press down any pointed tips on the ends.
Bake the eclairs for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 20 minutes or until the shells are brown and completely firm. Do not open the oven during baking or they might collapse.
Transfer the pastries to a wire rack and immediately poke a skewer all the way through to release the steam trapped inside.
Cool completely then use a sharp knife to cut 3 small Xs in the top of each shell. Fit a pastry bag with a ¼ inch tip and fill with the chilled filling. Pipe filling into pastries through each X until eclairs are completely filled.
Make the glaze
Microwave chocolate in 30-second intervals until fully melted. Whisk in the heavy cream until smooth. Gradually whisk in the sugar until smooth. Transfer the eclairs to to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and spoon warm glaze evenly over the tops. Allow the glaze to set for 20 minutes before serving.
Make ahead tips
Baked and cooled pastries can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours or frozen in a ziptop bag for up to 1 month. Recrisp room temperature pastries in a 300°F oven for 5-8 minutes, or frozen pastries for 8-10 minutes.
The filling can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before using.
Filled and glazed eclairs can be stored at room temperature for 4 hours. Or frozen for up to 4 days. Thaw at room temperature when ready to serve.
Notes
Almond pastry cream: Mix in 3/4 teaspoon almond extract along with the vanilla.
Mocha pastry cream: Add 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder to the milk and egg mixture in step 2.