French
Éclairs au Chocolat
Crisp, straight choux shells are filled end to end with dark chocolate pastry cream and capped by a thin mirror of glaze.
12 servings · 65 minutes prep · 45 minutes cook
Ingredients
Choux shells
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Chocolate pastry cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 5 oz dark chocolate
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Glaze
- 4 oz dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Directions
Bake dry shells
- Heat the oven to {{temperature:400F}}. Cook a panade with water, milk, butter, all purpose flour, and kosher salt. Beat in egg gradually, stopping when the paste falls from the paddle in a glossy V. Pipe twelve straight 5-inch lines.
- Bake at {{temperature:400F}} for 15 minutes without opening the door, reduce to {{temperature:350F}}, and continue until deep gold and firm, 20-25 minutes. Pierce both ends and dry in the switched-off oven with the door ajar for 10 minutes.
Cook and chill the filling
- Cook pastry cream from milk, egg yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch. Off heat stir in chocolate and butter. Strain, cover the surface, and chill completely.
Fill and glaze
- Pipe cream through three small holes along each completely cool shell until evenly heavy. Pour hot heavy cream over chocolate, rest 1 minute, stir smooth, and dip only the tops. Chill just until set, then serve within 4 hours for the best shell texture.
