Éclair is the French word for lightening. It's believed to have gotten that name because it glistens from the chocolate topping. Éclairs and cream puffs are made from a dough called éclair paste. Or the French name pate a choux. If I had known how easy these were to make, I definitely would have been eating these much more frequently. The challenge of these is getting the dryness perfect on the baked product for that hollow center.
Eclair Dough
The dough is a simple mix of water, butter, flour and eggs, blended in the mixer until desired consistency.
Once the dough is ready, fill a pasty bag and pipe out the dough on lined baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for the initial baking, then 350 degrees until it is well browned and very crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Filling the Éclair Shells With Pastry Cream
Once cooled, fill the éclair shells with pastry cream, by making a small hole in each end and fill with a pastry bag until it fills plump. Dip the tops of the éclairs into chocolate ganache for that golden chocolate topping. Unfilled éclairs, if thoroughly dry, may be held in plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to one week. Re-crisp in the oven for a few minutes before use.
Other French Pastries
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