CooksmithCooksmithCooksmithTags: #French #pastry #choux #dessert #classic Serving: 12 pieces Total time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Crisp, hollow pâte à choux shells filled with silky vanilla pastry cream and topped with a glossy dark chocolate glaze.
Water 120 ml
Whole milk 120 ml
Unsalted butter 100 g
Granulated sugar 5 g
Fine salt 4 g
Bread flour 140 g
Whole eggs 240 g, lightly beaten
Beaten egg 15 g, for adjustment
Whole milk 20 ml, for brushing
Whole milk 500 ml (pastry cream)
Vanilla bean paste 10 ml (pastry cream)
Egg yolks 100 g (pastry cream)
Granulated sugar 120 g (pastry cream)
Cornstarch 40 g (pastry cream)
Fine salt 1 g (pastry cream)
Unsalted butter 40 g, cubed (pastry cream)
Dark chocolate 70% 180 g (glaze)
Heavy cream 180 ml (glaze)
Glucose syrup 20 g (glaze)
Unsalted butter 20 g, room temperature (glaze)
Place 500 ml milk and vanilla paste in a medium saucepan.
Heat the milk to just simmering.
Whisk egg yolks, 120 g sugar, and 1 g salt in a bowl until thick.
Whisk in cornstarch until smooth.
Pour half of the hot milk into the yolk mixture.
Whisk vigorously to combine.
Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
Set the saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk constantly until the pastry cream boils and thickens.
Remove the saucepan from heat.
Whisk in 40 g butter until glossy.
Spread the pastry cream in a shallow dish.
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface.
Chill the pastry cream until cold.
Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place water, 120 ml milk, 100 g butter, 5 g sugar, and 4 g salt in a saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil.
Remove the saucepan from heat.
Add the flour to the saucepan in one addition.
Stir briskly until a smooth dough forms.
Set the saucepan over medium heat.
Stir constantly until a thin film forms on the pan and the dough reaches 75–80°C.
Transfer the hot dough to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle.
Mix on low speed for 2 minutes to cool slightly.
Add one-quarter of the 240 g beaten eggs.
Mix on medium speed until incorporated.
Add the second quarter of beaten eggs.
Mix on medium speed until smooth.
Add the third quarter of beaten eggs.
Mix on medium speed until smooth.
Add the final quarter of beaten eggs.
Mix on medium speed until the dough forms a thick V-shaped ribbon from the paddle.
Add 15 g reserve beaten egg if needed to reach a glossy, pipeable consistency.
Fit a large piping bag with a 12–14 mm open star tip.
Fill the bag with the choux dough.
Pipe 12 logs 12 cm long onto the sheets, spacing by 5 cm.
Smooth any peaks with a damp fingertip.
Brush the logs lightly with 20 ml milk.
Place the sheets in the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes at 200°C.
Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C.
Bake for 20–25 minutes until deep golden and well puffed.
Remove the sheets from the oven.
Pierce each shell at one end with a 3 mm skewer.
Return the sheets to the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes at 160°C to dry the interiors.
Transfer the shells to a wire rack.
Cool the shells completely.
Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces.
Heat the cream and glucose in a saucepan to steaming.
Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate in a bowl.
Let the mixture stand for 1 minute.
Stir gently from the center until smooth and emulsified.
Stir in 20 g butter until glossy.
Cool the glaze to 32–34°C.
Transfer the chilled pastry cream to a bowl.
Whisk the pastry cream until smooth.
Fit a piping bag with a 5 mm round tip.
Fill the bag with the pastry cream.
Poke three small holes in the underside of each shell with the tip.
Pipe pastry cream into each shell until heavy and filled.
Dip the top of each éclair into the chocolate glaze.
Lift each éclair straight up and let excess glaze drip back into the bowl.
Set the éclairs on a rack to allow the glaze to set for 20 minutes.
Refrigerate the éclairs until serving.
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