Chocolate Eclairs

Chocolate Eclairs
Adapted from a culinary school recipe

Pastry Cream Ingredients:
 – 500 grams Whole Milk
 – 100 grams Granulated Sugar
 – 100 grams Egg Yolks
 – 100 grams Granulated Sugar
 – 40 grams Cornstarch
 – 75 grams Unsalted Butter
 – Seeds from 1 Vanilla Bean or 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste

Pastry Cream Directions:
 1. In a stainless steel pot (not aluminum) heat Milk and first measure of Sugar until sugar is dissolved and the milk is hot but not boiling.
 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Egg Yolks, Sugar and Cornstarch. Temper* milk mixture into yolk mixture.
 3. Pour tempered egg mixture back into the pot and return to a boil, cooking about 2-3 minutes or until nappe**
 4. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve into the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on the lowest speed. Add in the Butter and Vanilla Bean Seeds or Paste after it has cooled for a few minutes.
 5. Pour into a clean medium-sized bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and allow it to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.
– It is best made the day before the Pate a Choux, so it has time to fully chill.

Pate a Choux Ingredients:
 – 240 grams Whole Milk
 – 113 grams Unsalted Butter (1 stick)
 – 2 grams Sugar
 – 2 grams Salt
 – 110 grams All Purpose Flour
 – 225 grams Eggs
 – 1 Egg for egg wash
 – Powdered Sugar (optional)

Pate a Choux Directions:
 1. Heat oven to 400F. Prepare sheet pans with parchment or silicone mats.
 2. Bring the Milk and Butter to a boil. Add in Flour, Salt and Sugar and cook on medium-high, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until a paste is formed. The mixture should form a ball or leave a film on the bottom of the pot.
 3. Remove from the heat and place in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on low for a minute then add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the previous one is incorporated before adding the next one.
 4. Once all the eggs have been added and the mixture is a bit cooler, put in a piping bag fitted with a large circle tip. Pipe strips of choux on the sheet pans, trying to not create a point when lifting off. Using a pastry brush, or your fingers, gently brush the egg wash over the eclairs, trying to make sure there is no point sticking up.
 5. Bake at 400F for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375F for the remaining time. It should take about 30 more minutes, or until the puffs are dry and golden brown. Do not crowd the oven. You might need to bake these in two batches.
 6. Let them cool completely before filling. To fill, gently pipe the pastry cream into the eclairs. Refrigerate or freeze until glaze is done.

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:
– 5 ounces chocolate chips
– 1/2 cup heavy cream
– 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup

Chocolate Glaze Directions:
1. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat Heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan until it just starts to boil.
2. Pour the hot cream over the chips and let it sit for a minute. Whisk the chocolate and cream to make a ganache.
3. Gently dunk each eclair into the glaze and shake off any excess. Place onto baking sheet or serving tray. Chill until serving. Can be made ahead and chilled.

*Tempering: eggs are tempered when a hot liquid, usually milk, is slowly streamed into them, while whisking constantly, to bring the eggs up to a warm temperature without cooking them.
**Nappe: French term referring to a liquid “coating the back of a spoon”. With pastry cream, if you run your finger through the (hot) pastry cream on the back of a wooden spoon, the lines will stay separate.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!