Homemade eclairs are an exquisite French delicacy.
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According to one theory, the word "eclair" comes from the French word for "lightning," as the pastry was so delicious and light that it was eaten instantly. Like their cousins, profiteroles, eclairs are light pastries that truly don't last long on the table. Commercially produced eclairs are certainly delicious, but if you make them at home, they will be just as tasty as their store-bought counterparts.
Making éclairs at home isn't difficult, although it does take a little effort. But the results are worth the effort! So, how do you make éclairs at home?
Homemade eclairs with custard
Ingredients for the dough:
- Eggs - 4 pcs. (fresh).
- Milk – 200 ml.
- Butter – 120 gr.
- Flour – 200 gr.
- Water – 100 ml. (boiled).
- Sugar – 1 teaspoon.
- Salt - on the tip of a knife.
Ingredients for the cream:
- Eggs (yolks only) – 3 pcs.
- Milk – 400 ml.
- Cream (from 30%) - 200 ml.
- Sugar – 170 gr.
- Butter – 40-50g.
- Flour – 30 g (or starch).
- Vanillin – 1.5 sachets (or vanilla pod).
Cream recipe
(We make it first, as it needs to cool and steep)
- Pour the milk into a saucepan, add half the sugar, and either the vanilla extract or the vanilla bean, which we've scraped out to remove the seeds. Don't throw away the seeds! Adding them to the milk will give it a richer vanilla flavor.
- Place the saucepan with the milk over low heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Then let the milk steep for about ten minutes, covered.
- In a separate bowl, add salt, the remaining sugar and flour/starch and mix them.
- Add the yolks to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly until the resulting mass is homogeneous.
- Meanwhile, strain the vanilla milk (if you used a vanilla bean) and return it to a low heat. Once the milk is almost boiling, remove the pan from the stove.
- Add one third of the milk in a thin stream to the bowl with the egg-flour mixture, while quickly stirring the resulting mixture.
- Pour in the remaining two-thirds of the milk in the same way, stirring vigorously and making sure the mixture is homogeneous.
- Next, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and simmer over low heat. Stir constantly, as the cream will begin to thicken and lumps may form.
- Depending on whether you're using flour or starch, you'll need to bring the mixture to a boil (starch) or not (flour). If using flour, adjust the temperature according to the desired consistency of the cream.
- Turn off the heat and check the cream for lumps. If any appear, strain it through a sieve.
- Take out the softened butter and mix it with the cream.
- Cover the finished cream with film so that it touches it directly, and place the pan in a cool place.
- After 2-3 hours, mix the rested cream with the pre-whipped cream. Now it's ready to use for filling the éclairs.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Pour milk, water, and butter into a saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and add sugar and salt.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and, reducing the heat, begin to quickly stir in the sifted flour.
- Once all the flour has been incorporated, continue kneading the dough, but reduce the heat to low. After 2-3 minutes, you'll notice the dough pulling away from the sides of the pan and forming it into a ball. This is a sign it's ready, and remove the pan from the heat.
- To cool the dough, place it in a cool place, continuing to stir it to cool it faster, or transfer it to a cold bowl.
- Once the dough has cooled, move on to the penultimate step. Add the eggs one by one, mixing the dough after each. Mix three eggs and check the consistency. If it resembles pancake batter or very thick honey, that's the consistency we're looking for. In that case, skip the last egg.
- Using a pastry bag, pipe 5 x 1.5 cm strips onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave 4 cm between them on each side – they will expand significantly.
- Place the baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 150 degrees and keep the eclairs in the oven for another 10 minutes.
- After this, let them cool and fill them with cream using a pastry syringe or simply a spoon, cutting the sides of the cakes.
Dough recipe
The éclairs are now ready! You can sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar or melted chocolate. As you've probably already realized, making éclairs at home isn't the quickest project. But, unlike store-bought ones with unknown ingredients, our éclairs are made with ingredients you already know. Plus, making your own éclairs will elevate your culinary skills to new heights in the eyes of your friends and family!
