Classic Chocolate Éclairs
I'm a baker, cookbook author, and culinary host with a passion for making baking approachable for everyone. I've written multiple cookbooks, including The New York Times-acclaimed "Bake Smart." You can catch me Hulu's new show "Cookie Cupcake Cake", but my favorite time in the kitchen is still baking with my son Artie in Brooklyn.
Samantha Seneviratne•
January 7, 2025
Master pâte à choux (choux pastry dough) and a world of dreamy, airy desserts opens up to you: éclairs, croquembouches, profiteroles, gougères and even churros. Choux pastry dough is unique in that it is typically prepared in a saucepan over heat, which might sound intimidating, but it is much more approachable than you might think. If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can use a resealable plastic bag to pipe these éclairs — or turn them into cream puffs by simply dropping the dough in 2-tablespoon scoops about 3 inches apart onto a baking sheet. The pastry starts to soften as soon as the éclair is filled with custard, so indulge immediately. It won’t be difficult. Save any leftover chocolate glaze in the refrigerator. Reheated, it makes perfect hot fudge sauce.
Ingredients (17)
Ingredients (17)
For the custard
Instructions
Prepare the custard
Stir together the egg yolks (6 large), sugar (½ cup), cornstarch (¼ cup) and kosher salt (1 pinch) in a medium saucepan until smooth.
Whisk in the milk (2 cups) and ½ cup heavy cream. Add the vanilla bean (1) and seeds and the butter (2 Tbsp) and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large heatproof bowl.
Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and making sure to get the edges, until the mixture begins to thicken, 2 to 4 minutes.
It's helpful to have both a spatula and a whisk handy while making the custard. Switch between the two.
Let it come up to a very slow boil and cook for 1 minute more. Strain the custard through the sieve into the bowl.
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1½ hours.
Prepare the puffs
Bring the butter (¾ stick), sugar (2 tsp), salt (½ tsp) and ¾ cup water to a simmer over medium heat in a medium saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon
As soon as it comes to a boil, add the flour (¾ cup), stirring constantly, until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute.
