- January 29, 2023
- by Happy Chef
- 1 Like
- 0 / 5
- Difficulty: Hard

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Prep Time45 mins
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Cook Time2 hours
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Serving20
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View104
The best bakeries and patisseries make many things we ordinary home cooks cannot. But the one sweet treat we home cooks will always be able to do better than even a great patisserie is éclairs – those delicate glazed French choux buns stuffed with a rich, creamy filling.
It sounds unlikely but the reason is simple. Once you fill an eclair, within 15 minutes the delicately crispy surface of the choux pastry starts softening. What was initially light with a wafer-like exterior starts deteriorating to a more spongey texture as moisture gets absorbed by the choux.
This is inevitably the fate of all ready-to-eat pre-filled eclairs sold at patisseries. Of course they’re still totally delicious! But the experience of eating a homemade eclair in its optimum state of freshness is something else entirely – something everyone should try it at least once in their life.
Notes before making:
1. Eggs must be at room temperature, not fridge-cold. 55 – 60g/2oz each in the shell. If yours are much larger or smaller, crack the eggs into a jug, whisk, and measure out 200ml or 4/5 cup.
2. Chocolate – Use 70% cocoa baking chocolate (baking aisle) or 70% cocoa Lindt eating chocolate.
ADJUSTMENT for ordinary dark chocolate chips or melts, or semi-sweet chocolate chips: use 1 cup / 150g chocolate chips + 1/2 cup (125 ml) cream + corn syrup or glucose amount per recipe.Reason: The chocolate is only 40 – 45% cocoa so it’s softer which means you don’t need as much cream to achieve same consistency.
3. Cream – You need to use cream that is at least 35% fat, for both the glaze and whipped cream. Higher fat = richer result = ok! Lower fat = no good. If the fat % is too low, the glaze will be too runny and the cream won’t whip properly.
4. Glucose and corn syrup – Find glucose in the baking aisle and corn syrup in speciality shops. It makes the chocolate shiny, like éclairs at patisseries!
5. Stabilised cream has the same light mouthfeel as plain whipped cream, but it has more structure so it doesn’t squirt out as much when you bite into the éclair, and it won’t weep and collapse when stored overnight. There’s various ways to make stabilised cream. Using mascarpone is the most fitting method for eclairs, I feel. It will keep for 2 days without deflating or weeping like normal cream. Lots more details in the Chantilly Cream post. Super hand for getting ahead – whip the cream the day before, dollop on cakes, Pav, mini cheesecakes and demand!
6. Mascarpone is an Italian cheese/cream that tastes like a rich cream. It has a consistency like softened cream cheese, it’s not pourable. Be sure to get a reputable brand, not an economical house brand as cheap imitations are runny (pourable) so won’t work properly as a thickener to stabilise the Chantilly Cream. More info here.
7. Vanilla pod – To scrape the seeds out of a vanilla pod, cut the pot in half lengthwise using a small sharp knife. Then scrape down the split pod using the blunt side of the knife to scrape the seeds out.
Substitute with: 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (best sub) or vanilla extract.
8. Piping nozzle – A star tip piping bag makes nicer shaped eclairs with little authentic ridges running down its length. However, plain round ones work just as well! Just snip the end of the piping bag (2.3 cm wide).
9. Making ahead – Store cooled whole choux pastry in an airtight container for 3 days. Re-crisp in a 180°C (160°C fan) oven for 5 minutes. Stabilised cream can be kept in an airtight container or piping bag for 48 hours, and it will be fluffy like freshly made! Follow recipe to assemble. Assembled éclairs will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge but the pastry softens over time. It does not stop me hoovering them down.
Ingredients
CHOUX PASTRY
SHINY CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
Stabilized CHANTILLY CREAM
- Calories: 340cal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 971IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Directions
While éclairs in the wonderful world of French pastries are made with custard hidden inside, éclairs as we know them here in Australia are split and generously filled with whipped cream.

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Position one shelf in the top third of the oven and another in the lower third. Lightly spray 3 trays with canola oil and line with baking/parchment paper.
Choux pastry:
1. Simmer liquid – Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is almost melted, add water.
2. Flour – Once the liquid starts simmering, add flour and salt, and vigorously stir with a wooden spoon (while still on the stove). The mixture will turn pasty then in about 10 seconds it will transform into a sticky ball of dough that comes away from the walls of the saucepan. Once this happens, remove from the stove and leave to cool for 10 minutes (no longer).
3. Eggs – Add eggs one at a time, mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. At first, the mixture will look separated but when you keep stirring, it comes together. When finished the mixture should be a sticky, thick paste that holds its shape, not sloppy and loose (see video or photos).
4. Pipe – Transfer mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 15 mm star tip (Note 8). Pipe logs 12-14 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, 1.5 cm tall, 5 cm apart from each other. (5″ long, 1″ wide, 0.6″ tall, 2″ apart) Do not crowd the tray else they won’t go crispy. You should get around 20.
Bake:
Bake 2 trays on the shelves for 45 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, open the oven door for 2 seconds to release steam (makes them crispier), then again at 35 minutes and 40 minutes. Remove the tray at 45 minutes.
Cool – Remove choux buns from the oven and allow to fully cool on the trays. If you used 3 trays, bake the 3rd tray of choux pastry per above directions.
Split – Slice choux buns in half horizontally.
Shiny chocolate glaze:
Place chocolate in a bowl.
Pour over hot cream – Heat cream and glucose in a small saucepan over medium heat until just below boiling. Pour mixture over chocolate, shake so the chocolate is submerged. Let stand for 1 minute.
Mix with a rubber spatula until smooth (do not use a whisk, it creates bubbles). Transfer into a wide, shallow bowl large enough to dip the eclairs.
ASSEMBLE:
Coat eclairs – Dip the lid of each éclair into the chocolate. Place on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes until the chocolate is firm to the touch.
Whip cream – Place all the Chantilly Cream ingredients in a bowl. Whip using an electric beater on medium high for 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Transfer into piping bag fitted with a star tip.
Fill eclairs – Pipe in cream using whatever pattern takes your fancy, generously thick. Place the lid on then serve!
Conclusion
These tasty homemade Eclairs will make your mouth happy, we hope you enjoyed this recipe. Please share or save this if you wish.
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Homemade Eclairs
Ingredients
CHOUX PASTRY
SHINY CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
Stabilized CHANTILLY CREAM
Follow The Directions
While éclairs in the wonderful world of French pastries are made with custard hidden inside, éclairs as we know them here in Australia are split and generously filled with whipped cream.

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Position one shelf in the top third of the oven and another in the lower third. Lightly spray 3 trays with canola oil and line with baking/parchment paper.

Choux pastry:
1. Simmer liquid – Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is almost melted, add water.
2. Flour – Once the liquid starts simmering, add flour and salt, and vigorously stir with a wooden spoon (while still on the stove). The mixture will turn pasty then in about 10 seconds it will transform into a sticky ball of dough that comes away from the walls of the saucepan. Once this happens, remove from the stove and leave to cool for 10 minutes (no longer).
3. Eggs – Add eggs one at a time, mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. At first, the mixture will look separated but when you keep stirring, it comes together. When finished the mixture should be a sticky, thick paste that holds its shape, not sloppy and loose (see video or photos).
4. Pipe – Transfer mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 15 mm star tip (Note 8). Pipe logs 12-14 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, 1.5 cm tall, 5 cm apart from each other. (5″ long, 1″ wide, 0.6″ tall, 2″ apart) Do not crowd the tray else they won’t go crispy. You should get around 20.

Bake:
Bake 2 trays on the shelves for 45 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, open the oven door for 2 seconds to release steam (makes them crispier), then again at 35 minutes and 40 minutes. Remove the tray at 45 minutes.
Cool – Remove choux buns from the oven and allow to fully cool on the trays. If you used 3 trays, bake the 3rd tray of choux pastry per above directions.
Split – Slice choux buns in half horizontally.

Shiny chocolate glaze:
Place chocolate in a bowl.
Pour over hot cream – Heat cream and glucose in a small saucepan over medium heat until just below boiling. Pour mixture over chocolate, shake so the chocolate is submerged. Let stand for 1 minute.
Mix with a rubber spatula until smooth (do not use a whisk, it creates bubbles). Transfer into a wide, shallow bowl large enough to dip the eclairs.

ASSEMBLE:
Coat eclairs – Dip the lid of each éclair into the chocolate. Place on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes until the chocolate is firm to the touch.
Whip cream – Place all the Chantilly Cream ingredients in a bowl. Whip using an electric beater on medium high for 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Transfer into piping bag fitted with a star tip.
Fill eclairs – Pipe in cream using whatever pattern takes your fancy, generously thick. Place the lid on then serve!
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