A French classic, chocolate éclairs are the perfect afternoon tea treat. Who can say no to some choux pastry filled with whipped cream and topped with a layer of smooth, rich chocolate? Chocolate éclairs are sheer luxury and great for serving with afternoon tea or as a dessert.
As I have mentioned before, I am a great fan of the Great British Bake Off. Back in 2015, week 7 of series 5 was pastry week, and the bakers had to serve Mary and Paul their interpretation of this French classic. For a reminder of some of their creations, check them out on the BBC´s website. Today I´m sharing with you this simple, “British” version of éclairs, filled with fresh cream and topped with a chocolate icing.
Chocolate Éclairs are really easy to make!
They may look a little tricky to make, but actually making éclairs is fairly straightforward. With only a few ingredients you can whip up a batch in under 2 hours (which includes the cooling time)!
Choux pastry is a classic French pastry, which is cooked twice. Once in a pot on the hob, then for a second time in the oven!
Although the French prefer to fill their éclairs with pastry cream (such as crème pâtissière or crème diplomate), in Britain, éclairs are often filled with whipped cream. This kind of cream is known by the French as Crème Chantilly. Check out my baking basics post and check out the video below to find out more about how to make it!
Finally, these delicious éclairs are topped with a thick chocolate icing. To find out more about working with chocolate, check out this post: How to Master Chocolate – Melting, Tempering and Decorating | Baking Basics #2.
Recipe Tips
Don’t fill your choux pastry shells too long before serving, as the pastry tends to go soggy. It´s best to fill them just before you want to eat them. Once filled, these French chocolate éclairs will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days, however, the choux pastry will become softer.
If you don´t fill all of your choux pastry éclair shells, you can also freeze them for next time! Just put the baked and split-open shells in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, crisp them up in the oven for a few minutes before leaving to cool and then filling with the cream and decorating with chocolate.
You can also make these éclairs without a piping bag or a nozzle and just use a sturdy freezer bag instead! Spoon the choux pastry or Crème Chantilly in and cut off a small triangle from one of the bottom corners of the freezer bag. Then use it as you would a normal piping bag
More Recipes
- Mary´s Strawberry Fraisier Cake (another French pâtisserie classic)
- Lemon and Yoghurt Cake
- Biscoff and Apple Traybake
- Mary´s Meringue Roulade with Strawberries and Cream
- Mini Chocolate and Raspberry Sandwich Cakes
- Homemade Dark Chocolate Digestive Biscuits
“British” Chocolate Éclairs
Recipe
Ingredients (makes 12)
FOR THE CHOUX PASTRY:
- 50g butter
- 150ml water
- 65g flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
FOR THE CRÈME CHANTILLY FILLING:
- 250-300ml whipping cream
- 25g icing sugar
- 1 tsp good-quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING:
- 50g dark chocolate
- 2tbsp water
- 15g butter
- 75g icing sugar, sifted
YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
- 2 piping bags and a round 1cm nozzle
- 1 baking tray lined with baking parchment
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- To make the choux pastry, place the butter and water into a medium saucepan. Gently melt over a medium heat, then bring to the boil. Take off the heat and immediately stir in the flour until the mixture comes together in a ball. Leave to cool slightly.
- With an electric whisk, slowly mix in the egg, a little at a time and beating well between each addition.
- Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a round 1cm nozzle. Pipe the pastry onto the lined baking tray into 15cm lengths, leaving a little space between them to spread.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then turn the temperature down to 190°C and bake for a further 20 minutes until pale golden brown. Make sure they are golden brown all over, as any lighter places will become soggy when cooled.
- As soon as you have removed the éclairs from the oven, split them open lengthwise without halving them completely (to make it easier to hold the hot pastry, hold the éclair with a piece of kitchen towel). This will allow the steam to escape and will ensure the éclairs become crispy. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the choux pastry shells have cooled completely, they can be filled.
For the chantilly cream filling, pour the cream, vanilla and sugar into a mixing bowl. Whisk on full speed until the cream is thick enough to be piped. Spoon the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Then, fill the éclair shells generously with the cream. - To make the chocolate icing, melt the butter, chocolate and water in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the bowl isn´t touching the water.
- Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the sifted icing sugar. Mix well until it turns into a smooth, shiny paste. Spread evenly over the éclairs and then wait until set completely.
