Description
Homemade Eclairs feature light choux pastry filled with smooth vanilla pastry cream and finished with a glossy chocolate ganache. This recipe delivers bakery style results at home using simple techniques and carefully balanced ingredients. The shells bake crisp on the outside and tender inside, while the filling stays creamy and rich without being heavy.
Ingredients
Whole milk divided for pastry cream
Simply Organic Vanilla Flavor or Watkins Clear Vanilla Flavor
Cornstarch
Granular sugar alternative suitable for cooking
Egg yolks
Water
Unsalted butter
All purpose flour
Large eggs
Sugar free baking chocolate chips
Heavy cream
Instructions
1. Whisk part of the milk with egg yolks sugar alternative and cornstarch until completely smooth
2. Heat remaining milk with vanilla flavor until hot and lightly bubbling
3. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper
4. Return mixture to saucepan and cook while whisking until thick and bubbling
5. Strain pastry cream into a bowl cover the surface and chill until set
6. Preheat oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
7. Heat water and butter until boiling then stir in flour to form a paste
8. Let dough cool slightly then mix in eggs until glossy and pipeable
9. Pipe dough into logs on baking sheet and brush with egg wash
10. Bake until puffed golden and fully set then cool completely
11. Heat heavy cream until steaming and pour over chocolate chips
12. Let sit then whisk into a smooth ganache
13. Pipe pastry cream into cooled shells until filled
14. Dip tops into ganache and chill until set
Notes
Accurate measurements are important for successful choux pastry
Cook the flour thoroughly before adding eggs to avoid raw flavor
Straining the pastry cream ensures a silky smooth texture
Allow pastry shells to cool completely before filling
Ganache thickness can be adjusted by adding a small amount of warm cream
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French inspired