Classic Éclairs

Crisp choux pastry, vanilla-scented cream, and rich chocolate icing come together in this traditional French dessert.

Makes
14 éclairs
Time
2 hours

FARIDEH SADEGHIN

Published on March 11, 2016

When it comes to éclairs, homemade is always better. Bakeries have to chill their filled éclairs, which makes for soggy centers and mushy crusts; you can freshly fill yours at home and eat them right away. This recipe is adapted from Scott Cioe, the pastry chef at Lafayette in New York City.

Featured in “5 Simple Tips for Better Homemade Éclairs” by Craig Cavallo and “How to Master Pâte à Choux for Perfect French Pastries” by Ryan McCarthy.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

¹⁄₂ cup milk
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, at room temperature

For the filling and icing:

1 batch pastry cream
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
¹⁄₂ tsp. unsalted butter
¹⁄₄ tsp. vanilla extract

ADVERTISEMENTAD

Instructions

Step 1

Make the pastry: Heat the oven to 425°. Bring milk, butter, salt, and 1⁄2 cup water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan over high heat. Add flour; stir until a dough forms. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, the dough constantly with a wooden spoon, until slightly dried, about 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl and, using a hand mixer, beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth.

Step 2

Using a piping bag, pipe 4-inch lines of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Place the tray in the oven and reduce the temperature to 375°. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, and cool.

Step 3

To assemble the éclairs: Make a wide incision in the side of each pastry. Place pastry cream into a piping bag and fill each pastry with cream. Spread icing over the top of each. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes, until the icing hardens, before serving.

Make the pastry: Heat the oven to 425°. Bring milk, butter, salt, and 1⁄2 cup water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan over high heat. Add flour; stir until a dough forms. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, the dough constantly with a wooden spoon, until slightly dried, about 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl and, using a hand mixer, beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth.
Using a piping bag, pipe 4-inch lines of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Place the tray in the oven and reduce the temperature to 375°. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, and cool.
To assemble the éclairs: Make a wide incision in the side of each pastry. Place pastry cream into a piping bag and fill each pastry with cream. Spread icing over the top of each. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes, until the icing hardens, before serving.