Chocolate eclairs

Recipe By: Keith Hartman/Virginia Western Community College

Pastry Cream Ingredients:

Milk 1 qt

Sugar 4 oz

Egg yolks 3 oz

Whole Eggs 4 oz

Cornstarch 2.5 oz

Sugar 4 oz

Butter 2 oz

Vanilla Extract 0.5 oz (1 tbsp)

Instructions:

In a heavy saucepan or kettle, dissolve the sugar in the milk and bring just to a boil.

With a whip, beat the egg yolks and whole eggs in a stainless-steel bowl.

Sift the cornstarch and sugar into the eggs. Beat with the whip until perfectly smooth.

Temper the egg mixture by slowly beating in the hot milk in a thin stream.

Return the mixture to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from the heat.

Stir in the butter and vanilla. Mix until the butter is melted and completely blended in.

Pour out into a clean, sanitized hotel pan or other shallow pan. Cover with plastic film placed directly in contact with the surface of the cream to prevent a crust from forming. Cool and chill as quickly as possible.

For filling pastries such as éclairs and napoleons, whip the chilled pastry cream until smooth before using.

Pâté A’ Choux Ingredients:

Water, milk, or half water, half milk 1 lb

Butter or regular shortening 8 oz

Salt 1 tsp

Bread flour 12 oz

Eggs 1 lb 4 oz

Instructions:

Combine the liquid, butter, and salt in a heavy saucepan or kettle. Bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir quickly.

Return the pan to moderate heat and stir vigorously until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a mixer. If you wish to mix it by hand, leave it in the saucepan.

With the paddle attachment, mix at low speed until the dough has cooled slightly. It should be 110 – 140 F, which is still very warn but not too hot to touch.

At medium speed, beat in the eggs a little at a time. Add no more than one-quarter of the eggs at once, and wait until they are completely absorbed before adding more. When all the eggs are absorbed, the paste is ready to use.

Éclairs: Pipe the paste out into strips of desired length on parchment lined baking sheet in a 400F oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325F for 10 minutes, then reduce to 300F for 10 minutes. Cut the oven off and if possible leave in the oven to continue drying. If not continue cooking at 300F until of Éclair is dry.

Cut hole in the end. Fill Éclair with desired filling.

Optional: top with Chocolate Glacage.

Simple Butter Cream Ingredients:

Butter 8 oz

Shortening 4 oz

Confectioner’ Sugar 1 lb 4 oz

Egg whites, pasteurized 1.25 oz

Lemon Juice ½ tsp

Vanilla extract ¾ tsp

Water (optional) 1 oz

Instructions:

Using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar until well blended.

Add the egg whites, lemon juice, and vanilla. Blend in at medium speed. Then mix at high speed until light and fluffy.

For a softer butter cream, blend in the water.



Chocolate Glacage Ingredients:

Heavy cream 6 oz

Dark chocolate, chopped 6 oz

Instructions:

Prepare a ganache with the cream and chocolate: Heat the cream to boiling and pour over the finely chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is uniformly blended.

Use as soon as possible.