Éclair Recipe

Category: Desserts
Servings: 13 pieces

Ingredients:

For Choux Pastry:

Ingredient	Amount
All-purpose flour (00)	130g
Butter	100g
Water	200ml
Sugar	6g
Eggs	4
Pinch of salt	1 pinch

For Caramel Pastry Cream:

Ingredient	Amount
Whole milk	250ml
Sugar	75g
All-purpose flour (00)	25g
Egg yolks	3
Vanilla bean pod	½

For Caramel:

Ingredient	Amount
Sugar	100g
Water	50ml

For Sugar Syrup and Glaze:

Ingredient	Amount
Sugar	500g
Water	175ml
Glucose	90g
Caramel	30g

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Instructions:

Preparing the Choux Pastry:

1. Melt the Butter: Start by placing a saucepan on the stove. Add the butter and water, followed by the sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir gently with a whisk until the mixture is well combined.

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2. Boil the Mixture: Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, remove it from the heat and add the sifted flour, stirring vigorously to combine.

3. Cook the Dough: Return the saucepan to the heat and continue to stir with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth dough. A thin layer of dough will form at the bottom of the pan. Once this occurs, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the dough onto a plate to cool.

4. Incorporate the Eggs: When the dough is cool enough to handle, place it into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Alternatively, you can use a wooden spoon and mix by hand in a large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring that each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. You’ll need to achieve a smooth, shiny dough that falls from a spoon in a thick “ribbon” shape.

5. Pipe the Pastry: Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a smooth 3 cm-wide nozzle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pipe the dough onto the sheet, creating 10-12 cm long lines (like small logs) for each éclair.

6. Bake: Preheat your oven to 170°C (for convection ovens) or 190°C (for conventional ovens). Bake the éclairs for 30-35 minutes, or until they’re golden and crisp. Once baked, leave them in the oven with the door slightly ajar to allow them to dry completely.

Preparing the Caramel Pastry Cream:

1. Heat the Milk: In a saucepan, heat the milk along with the seeds scraped from the vanilla bean. Allow it to warm up but not boil.

2. Prepare the Egg Mixture: While the milk is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl. Add the flour and whisk until smooth.

3. Combine Milk and Egg Mixture: Once the milk has heated, remove the vanilla pod and slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture while whisking continuously. Be sure to pour gradually to avoid scrambling the eggs.

4. Cook the Cream: Return the combined mixture to the stove and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a creamy consistency.

5. Cool the Cream: Once thickened, remove the cream from the heat and transfer it into a bowl. Cover the surface of the cream with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Allow it to cool to room temperature.

Preparing the Caramel:

1. Make the Caramel: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the sugar over low heat until it reaches a deep golden brown color.

2. Add Water: Once the sugar has caramelized, carefully add the hot water to the pan. The mixture will bubble up, so be cautious. Stir with a whisk until smooth.

3. Cool the Caramel: Allow the caramel to cool to room temperature. When it has cooled, add it to the pastry cream, mixing well. Be sure to set aside 30g of the caramel for the sugar syrup glaze later.

Preparing the Sugar Syrup and Glaze:

1. Cook the Sugar Syrup: In a separate saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and glucose. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the syrup reaches 114°C (use a sugar thermometer to check).

2. Cool the Syrup: Once the syrup has reached the right temperature, transfer it to a bowl and stir slowly with a spoon as it cools down to 60°C. As it cools, the syrup will turn a glossy white and begin to thicken.

3. Add the Caramel: When the syrup reaches 60°C, add the reserved 30g of caramel to the mixture. Stir until fully combined.

4. Glaze the Éclairs: Carefully dip each éclair into the caramel glaze, coating the top. Allow the glaze to solidify before serving.

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Final Assembly:

• Once the choux pastry is completely cooled, use a pastry bag to fill each éclair with the caramel pastry cream. Alternatively, you can slice each éclair in half and pipe the cream into the center.

• After filling, dip the top of each éclair into the caramel glaze and allow it to set before serving.

Enjoy your beautifully crafted éclairs—crispy, golden on the outside, and rich with creamy caramel goodness inside!

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Tip: For extra flavor and a glossy finish, you can experiment with adding a touch of chocolate ganache on top of the caramel glaze for a more indulgent treat.