The Best Way To Make Chocolate Eclairs

Chocolate Eclair Recipe Loading

If you love baking and have not yet tried your hand at pastry, this is your sign! For me, this is the best way to make chocolate eclairs and it is so easy! They are traditionally known as pâte à choux or choux pastry that originated in France (obviously). This light pastry is made using water, butter, flour and eggs, I mean how easy is that!? I learned how to make choux pastry while at Le Cordon Bleu in London and they made us learn the hard way. By that, I mean we couldn’t use a mixer to cool down the choux pastry. This recipe is going to show you how to do it using a mixer and by hand so you have options. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

The best way to make chocolate eclairs from scratch:

1. Make sure that when you are heating the water, butter and salt mixture, the water doe not boil. You want to see a simmer and once the butter is melted, make sure to lower the heat before adding in flour.
2. A very key part to making eclairs is the combination of the flour to the liquid mixture. While the heat is low and you’ve added in the flour make sure to mix vigorously. I recommend using a wooden spoon to mix and once the batter starts to pull away from the edges you are 90% of the way there.
3. I would recommend mixing for about 2-3 minutes because you want the flour to be cooked through.
4. Before adding in the eggs, place the batter into a stand mixer with a creaming attachment tool. Now mix on low speed until the mixture is cool and the bowl also feels cool to the touch.
5. Make sure to not add the eggs when it’s still hot, or the eggs will cook instead of being combined.
6. To do this by hand, simple keep stirring with your wooden spoon until the mixture has cooled down.
7. After the eggs have been added, the batter will be yellow, glossy and should fall off a spoon within seconds. At this point you are ready to pipe the mixture.

The Best Way To Make Chocolate Eclairs

Recipe by inthemidnightkitchenCourse: DessertCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Medium

Servings

15-20

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

If you love pastry, you are going to fall in love with these chocolate eclairs! I love baking this recipe because it is so easy and brings you the most delicious eclairs ever! I topped mine with chocolate and filled them with cream.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water

• 125g butter (salted or unsalted)

• 118g plain flour

• 1 tsp. salt

• 4 medium eggs

• Filling and Topping

• 1 cup whipping cream

• 150g milk chocolate melted

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 180C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spray with a non-stick spray and set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, add water, butter and salt. Set to medium heat and allow butter to melt. Don’t let the water boil, only simmer.
• Lower the heat to the lowest setting, add in the flour and using a wooden spoon mix vigorously for 2-3 minutes.
• Once the dough pulls away from the sides, mix for 40 more seconds and remove from the heat.
• Place mixture into your stand mixer, with a creaming tool and put on a low speed.
• We are trying to remove the heat from the mixture. Once the bowl and mixture cools to the touch (about 10 minutes), add in the eggs, one by one.
• After each eggs, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• After the eggs are added, the batter should be glossy and fall of a spoon easily.
• Pipe the batter onto the baking tray.
• Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Then reduce heat to 175C and bake for another 20 minutes without opening the oven.
• After this, crack the oven door open, turn the heat off and let them stay there for a further 10 minutes.
• Once they are cooled down completely, top with melted chocolate and whip the cream to stiff peaks and fill them up and enjoy!

Recipe Video