Classic Chocolate Éclairs

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium saucepan
• •Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or wooden spoon and strong arm)
• •Piping bags with 1/2-inch round tip and small round tip
• •Rimmed baking sheets
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Fine-mesh strainer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pastry cream

   Warm the milk with the vanilla bean (seeds and pod) in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it steams and small bubbles form at the edges. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let the vanilla steep for ten minutes while you prepare the eggs. This patience extracts every bit of flavor from the bean.

   If using vanilla extract instead of a bean, add it at the end with the butter. Heat destroys its delicate flavor.
2. 2

   Build the custard base

   Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a medium bowl until pale and slightly thickened, about two minutes. Whisk in the cornstarch until completely smooth. Slowly pour half the warm milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs so they do not scramble.

3. 3

   Cook the pastry cream

   Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and reaching into the corners of the pan, until the custard thickens dramatically and begins to bubble. It should plop thickly from your whisk. Continue cooking for one full minute after the first bubbles appear. This ensures the cornstarch is fully cooked.

4. 4

   Finish and chill the cream

   Remove from heat and fish out the vanilla pod. Whisk in the cold butter until completely melted and incorporated. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least two hours or overnight. The cream will set firmly.

5. 5

   Make the choux paste

   Combine the water, butter pieces, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, ensuring the butter melts completely before the water boils. The moment it boils, remove from heat and add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan.

   European-style butter has higher butterfat and less water. It makes choux that puffs more dramatically. Look for butter from good dairies that tastes like cream.
6. 6

   Dry the paste

   Return the pan to medium heat and stir constantly for one to two minutes. You are cooking out excess moisture. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan and the paste will look slightly matte. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl if working by hand. Let cool for five minutes.

7. 7

   Add the eggs

   Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. After the first egg, the paste will look slippery and broken. Keep mixing. It will come together. After all eggs are incorporated, the paste should be smooth, glossy, and thick enough to hold a shape when piped, but still soft enough to slowly fall from a lifted spoon.

   Fresh eggs from hens with good feed make noticeably richer choux. The yolks should be deep orange, almost sunset-colored.
8. 8

   Pipe the éclairs

   Preheat your oven to 425F (220C). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Transfer the paste to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (about 1/2 inch). Pipe 4-inch lengths onto the parchment, spacing them two inches apart. They will nearly double in size. Dip a finger in water and smooth any peaks or tails on the ends.

9. 9

   Bake until golden and hollow

   Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F (190C) and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until deeply golden and the shells feel light when lifted. They should sound hollow when tapped. Do not open the oven door during the first 20 minutes. The steam inside creates the puff, and opening the door lets it escape.

10. 10

    Dry the shells

    Pierce each éclair on the bottom with a small knife or skewer to release steam. Return to the turned-off oven with the door propped open for ten minutes. This dries the interior and prevents soggy shells. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

11. 11

    Make the chocolate glaze

    Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until it just begins to simmer, then pour over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute, then stir gently from the center outward until smooth and glossy. Stir in the corn syrup or honey. This gives the glaze its beautiful shine.

12. 12

    Fill the éclairs

    Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth and pipeable. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Poke three small holes in the bottom of each éclair shell. Insert the tip and fill until you feel the shell grow heavy and cream just begins to peek out.

13. 13

    Glaze and serve

    Dip the top of each filled éclair into the warm chocolate glaze, letting excess drip off. Set on a wire rack, chocolate side up, and let the glaze set for fifteen minutes at room temperature. Serve the same day for shells that shatter when you bite through them.

    If the glaze thickens too much while you work, warm it gently over a pan of simmering water for thirty seconds.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out butter with at least 82% butterfat. The higher fat content means less water, which means better puff. Taste your butter before you bake with it. If it does not taste good on bread, it will not taste good in pastry.
• •Eggs at room temperature incorporate more smoothly into choux paste. Set them on the counter an hour before you begin, or warm them in a bowl of lukewarm water for ten minutes.
• •The pastry cream can be made two days ahead. Press plastic directly onto the surface and refrigerate. Whisk until smooth before piping.
• •Unfilled baked shells can be frozen in airtight bags for one month. Crisp them in a 350F oven for five minutes before filling.
• •If you cannot find vanilla beans, use the best pure vanilla extract you can afford. The imitation kind leaves a chemical aftertaste that good cream does not deserve.

Advance Preparation

• •Pastry cream can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated with plastic pressed directly on the surface.
• •Baked, unfilled shells keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or frozen for up to 1 month. Crisp in a 350F oven for 5 minutes before filling.
• •Filled and glazed éclairs are best eaten within 4 hours. The shells soften as they sit. This is the nature of the thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 125g)