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How to Make Eclairs from Scratch
Eclairs are made from choux pastry piped into logs, baked until golden and hollow, then filled with pastry cream and topped with chocolate glaze. The key is getting your choux pastry right — it should be smooth, pipeable, and hold its shape when baked.
- Total time: 1 hr 25 min
- Hands-on: 30 min
- Serves: 12
- Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup flour
- 4 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 oz chocolate
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
Step by step
- Make the choux pastry. Bring 1 cup water, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and dump in 1 cup flour all at once. Stir vigorously until it forms a ball that pulls away from the sides. Return to medium heat for 30 seconds, stirring constantly to dry out the paste.
- Add the eggs. Let the paste cool for 2-3 minutes. Beat in 4 eggs one at a time, mixing completely after each addition. The paste should be smooth and fall slowly from your spoon in a thick ribbon. If it's too stiff, beat in one more egg.
- Pipe the eclairs. Transfer paste to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 4-inch logs onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Smooth any peaks with a wet finger.
- Bake the shells. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce to 375°F and bake 20-25 minutes more until golden brown and crisp. Don't open the oven door during the first 30 minutes. Poke a small hole in each eclair and bake 5 minutes more to dry the insides.
- Make pastry cream. Whisk 3 egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar until pale. Whisk in 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Heat 1 1/2 cups milk to just under a boil. Slowly whisk hot milk into egg mixture, then return everything to the pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface and chill.
- Fill and glaze. Poke holes in the bottom of cooled eclairs with a skewer. Fill a piping bag with pastry cream and pipe into each hole until full. For glaze, melt 4 oz chocolate with 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon butter. Dip the top of each eclair in glaze and let set.
Tips & troubleshooting
- Your choux paste is ready when you can write a clear figure-8 with the spoon and the paste doesn't immediately fall back on itself.
- Steam is what makes eclairs puff, so never open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking.
- Undercooked eclairs will collapse as they cool. They should sound hollow when tapped and feel light for their size.
- Fill eclairs the day you plan to serve them — the shells get soggy if filled too far ahead.
- If your eclairs crack on top while baking, your oven is too hot. Lower the temperature by 25 degrees.
Variations
- Coffee Eclairs. Add 2 tablespoons instant espresso to your pastry cream and use coffee-flavored glaze made with strong coffee instead of cream.
- Vanilla Bean Eclairs. Scrape the seeds from one vanilla bean into your pastry cream and top with white chocolate glaze.
- Profiteroles. Pipe small rounds instead of logs and fill with ice cream for classic profiteroles served with chocolate sauce.
Questions
- Why did my eclairs collapse after baking?
- They weren't baked long enough. The shells need to be completely set and dried out, or the steam inside will make them collapse as they cool.
- Can I make eclair shells ahead of time?
- Yes, baked shells freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and crisp in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes before filling.
- Why is my choux pastry too thick to pipe?
- You may not have added enough eggs, or your flour measurement was off. Add another egg and beat well — the paste should pipe easily but hold its shape.
- How do I know when the pastry cream is thick enough?
- It should coat the back of a spoon and hold soft peaks when you lift the whisk. If it's too thin, keep cooking and whisking.