Desserts
French
FrenchChocolate Eclairs
Classic choux pastry fingers filled with cream and topped with chocolate, shown three ways. The basic tier keeps it simple with squirty cream and a quick icing, while the ultimate folds in a proper creme patissiere and a glossy chocolate ganache.
Vegetarian
Ultimate version
Craquelin-topped choux, vanilla creme patissiere and a mirror-shine dark ganache.
Per serving£1.48
Total cost£11.80
Time1 hr 35 min
Ingredients for 8
- Choux
- 75 g strong white bread flour
- 60 g unsalted butter , cubed
- 75 ml water
- 75 ml whole milk
- 3 free-range eggs , beaten
- Creme patissiere
- 400 ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla pod , split and scraped
- 4 egg yolks
- 80 g caster sugar
- 30 g cornflour
- Ganache
- 180 g 70% dark chocolate , finely chopped
- 150 ml double cream
Method
- Make a creme patissiere by infusing the milk with vanilla, whisking into the yolks, sugar and cornflour, then cooking until thick; chill under cling film.
- Cook the choux paste with milk and water, dry it out, then beat in the eggs to a smooth pipeable dough.
- Pipe neat fingers, lay a thin craquelin strip on top, and bake at 190C for 30-35 minutes until deeply golden and crisp.
- Cool the shells fully, then pipe the loosened vanilla creme patissiere into the bases through two small holes.
- Warm the cream and pour over the chopped dark chocolate, emulsify into a glossy ganache and let it cool to coating consistency.
- Dip each eclair to a clean mirror finish and set briefly before serving the same day.
Equipment
- saucepan
- piping bag
- baking tray
- fine sieve
- stand mixer
The three ways, side by side
Budget
Simple choux filled with squirty cream and a quick icing sugar glaze.
Better
Butter-rich choux, whipped double cream filling and a real chocolate glaze.
Ultimate
Craquelin-topped choux, vanilla creme patissiere and a mirror-shine dark ganache.
