Eclairs

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I’ve been making these since I was in 7th grade. They have improved over the years, and they are near perfect. They get a 9.5. I make more cream puff style because it’s easier. I use the shell recipe from the Fine cooking magazine.

Éclair Pastry Shells

By Carolyn Weil Fine Cooking Issue 75
  • 2 oz. (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp. table salt
  • 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup water
https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/eclair-pastry-shells


I double this to get 36-40 cream puffs. You essentially melt the butter, water and salt together. You boil this and then add the flour (measure by weight). Then, you stir this for about 2 minutes, use a wooden spoon and kind of mash it against the sides of the pan. Then, put it in a kitchenaid and run on low to cool it a bit. After a few minutes, add the eggs, one at a time. It separates, then you move the speed up, and lower it again for the next egg. Run it for about 30 seconds at the end and then I use a cookie scoop to put it on parchment and they bake at 400 for about 30-45 minutes. They need to be thoroughly golden brown. Don’t make them too light.

Then, I fill them with the following pasty cream mixed with 1 1/2 cups cream (you whip the cream until it’s a normal consistency, add the sugar and the vanilla and then add the pastry cream directly to the mixer and combine them together). This ends up not being a thick filling.
Pasty Cream recipe, courtesy of Dad

3/4 cup sugar I cut this down to 1/2 cup
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups milk use a high fat milk and warm it first
4 egg yolks
3 Tbs. butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Combine dry ingredients and stir. Add milk and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, bring nearly to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour 1/3 into bowl of egg yolks, then pour back into pan and cook for two minutes. once it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter. Strain and chill.
After you scrape out the shells you add the pastry cream and then ganache.

Ganache

4 oz. chocolate
1/2 cup cream
dash salt
1/2 Tbs. butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Melt together

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