Homemade Eclairs with Pastry Cream Recipe

A white plate with homemade chocolate eclairs.

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Eclairs with Pastry Cream Recipe

Custard-filled shells dipped in smooth chocolate glaze make these Homemade Eclairs with Pastry Cream a rich, bakery-style dessert with layers of cream, pastry, and chocolate.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Cool and Chill Time1

Total Time2 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 229kcal

Author: Andrea

Ingredients

Pâte À Choux

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
6 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp butter
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste

Chocolate Glaze

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate melted
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream plus more if needed
pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
To make the pâte à choux, place a medium-sized saucepan over low heat. Add the butter, sugar, water, and salt, stirring frequently. Turn the heat up to a low boil, remove from the heat, and add in the flour. Stir vigorously until the mixture forms a thick paste and no flour pockets remain. Place over medium heat and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning (a thin film will form on the bottom of the pan).
Place the hot paste into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until it becomes slightly cooler. Then add the eggs one at a time until incorporated. The mixture will look shiny and will stick to the sides of the bowl. Beat for an additional 2 minutes on medium. Scoop the dough into a large piping bag fitted with a large tip (around a ½-inch in diameter). Pipe 4″–5″ logs onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing each two inches apart to prevent spreading and baking into each other.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, open the oven, rotate the pan, and reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius) and bake for 20 minutes to allow the pastry shells to dry out. That makes a total of 60 minutes or 1 hour at three separate temperatures. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the pastry cream, in a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar, whisking until combined. Pour the milk into a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring to a low boil, then add the flour. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg/sugar mixture to temper it, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Return the mixture to the saucepan set over medium heat, add the vanilla bean paste, and cook until it becomes very thick. Pour over a mesh sieve to strain any eggy parts and set over an ice bath to cool (whisk for about 5 minutes or so). Store in the refrigerator until needed.
When the eclair shells have cooled, poke three holes into the bottom of each one. Place the pastry cream into a large piping bag fitted with a small round tip and fill each hole. Once the shells are filled, heat the heavy whipping cream for the glaze in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate and salt. Dip each pastry into the chocolate glaze, swirling to remove any excess chocolate. Set on the baking sheet and place in the refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

STORE the filled eclairs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Because of the pastry cream, they need to stay chilled. If you'd like to freeze them, FREEZE the baked, unfilled pastry shells only.

Once cooled, place them in a zip-top bag and transfer to the freezer for up to 1 month. To use, thaw at room temperature, then fill and glaze as usual. Avoid freezing the filled chocolate eclairs, as the cream can separate.

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