Here's everything you need to know about
making Perfect Classic Chocolate Eclairs! This included tutorial will walk you
through the recipe step by step, and also discuss troubleshooting tips for
eclairs for common recipe errors.
Are you left wondering why the iklaire
always comes out flat or soggy? Or why do they have a concave bottom, or a huge
crack down the middle at the bottom?
Chances are you've tried all of the recipes
that claim to make the perfect wreath, and still ended up with flat and frothy
eclairs instead? 🙂
Today, I am going to show you guys how to
make Foolproof, Perfect Classic Eclairs!
The choux pastry troubleshooting post is
one of the most popular posts on my blog and I had several readers asking me
for a follow-up post dedicated to classic eclairs. However, I encourage you to
read my choux pastry troubleshooting recipe post first for a detailed and
comprehensive guide on how to make the perfect choux pastry and how to fix any
deficiencies in the dough. This will help you troubleshoot common problems you
may encounter when making eclairs or any choux pastry.
The consistency of the choux dough is the
key! Always weigh your ingredients, rather than relying on cup / size
measurements for guaranteed, consistent results. However, if you are using
mugs, you need to pay close attention to the consistency of the dough in every
step to ensure you are on the right track.
* Ingredients :
+ To prepare the Chou pastry
° 250 ml (1 cup + 2 teaspoons) water
° 70 grams (5 tablespoons) butter
° 150g all-purpose flour
° 4 eggs
° 1/8 teaspoon salt
+ To prepare the pastry cream
° 350ml (1 1/2 cup) cold milk
° 30g cornstarch (3 3/4 tablespoons)
° 100 grams of sugar
° 75 grams (1/3 cup) butter at room
temperature
° 200ml (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) heavy,
cold whipping cream
° 1 teaspoon vanilla
+ To glaze the chocolate
° 150g (3/4 cups (depends on the size of
the chocolate chips you use. ° 1 cup for regular size)) chocolate chips
° 125g (12 cups plus 2 teaspoons) heavy
cream
* Instructions :
Preparing the chow mixture:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and putting 2
sheets parchment paper.
In a medium non-stick bowl, mixing water
with salt also bring to a boil.
Adding butter also adduce to a boil again.
Add flour and beat vigorously until the
lumps are gone and the mixture thickens, about a minute.
Remove the pot from the stove and let the
mixture cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk the first egg and mix with a wooden
spoon until the egg is completely blended into the batter without white clumps.
Keep whisking the remaining eggs, one at a time
Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain
header (I use Wilton # 1A), place lengths of piping spread dough (about ¾ - 1
inch long and 4 inch long) on a lined baking sheet, leaving a 1 inch space
between them.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Without open oven door, minimize
temperature to 340 ° F and baking about other
15-20 min . Taking it out of oven also let it cooled down on a wire
rack.
Preparing pastry cream:
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in
3-4 tablespoons of milk.
Add the remaining milk to a small saucepan
and bring to a boil. Adding 50 grams (1/4 cup) sugar also stirring until sugar
meleted .
When the milk starts to boil, add melted
cornstarch and beat until the lumps are gone. Remove from heat and cool until
slightly warm or completely cold.
In a large bowl, whisk the butter with the remaining
50 grams (1/4 cup) of sugar and vanilla extract until the mixture turns almost
white.
Combine the whipped butter with the mixture
of milk and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.
In a large bowl and using an electric
mixer, beat heavy whipping cream until smooth peaks form. Add whipped cream to
butter and milk cream.
Using the tip of a small knife, cut 3 small
X marks along the top of each pastry. Using a small tip (I used Wilton Tip #
32), place the pastry cream into the crust through each hole.
To glaze the chocolate:
In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate
chips and heavy whipping cream over a saucepan of about 2.5 cm of boiling
water. Whisk until mixture is smooth and smooth. Alternatively, you can heat
chocolate and cream in the microwave for about 30 seconds and blend until
smooth.
Remove from heat and cool down for a few
minutes.
Dip the top of each wreath in chocolate
glaze and set aside to allow the glaze to set.
Enjoy
!
