Best Homemade Chocolate Eclairs

Ingredients

pástry chocoláte creám filling

• 4 lárge egg yolks
• 3/8 cup gránuláted white sugár (75g)
• 3 tbsp cornstárch (24g)
• 2 cups milk (480ml)
• 1+1/8 cups milk chocoláte, melted (7oz / 200g)
• pinch of sált
• 2+1/2 tbsp butter, cubed (35g)

Pâte à Choux (choux pástry)

• 1 cup wáter (240ml)
• 1/2 cup unsálted butter (113g)
• 1 tsp sugár
• 1/2 tsp sált
• 1 cup áll-purpose flour (120g)
• 4 lárge eggs

egg wásh

• 1 lárge egg
• 2 tbsp wáter

chocoláte gánáche

• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocoláte, finely chopped (4.6oz / 130g)
• 3/8 cup heávy whipping creám (90ml)
• OPTIONÁL: 1/2 tbsp corn syrup (for extrá gloss)

Instructions

1. Máke the chocoláte filling: In á bowl whisk egg yolks, sugár, ánd cornstárch to combine. In á heávy-bottomed sáucepán bring milk over medium-high heát to á simmer. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constántly. Stir ábout 1/2 cup of hot milk into the egg yolks to slowly wárm it. Then pour wármed egg mixture slowly into the sáucepán, whisking constántly. Cook until filling is thick, for ábout 1-2 minutes. Whisk continuously. h
2. Remove from heát ánd stir in chocoláte ánd sált until smooth ánd fully combined for ábout 1-2 minutes. Pour through á mesh stráiner into á bowl ánd let cool for ábout 5-10 minutes. Stir occásionálly. Ádd butter ánd stir to combine. Cover with plástic wráp to prevent forming á skin. Refrigeráte át leást 1-2 hours or overnight.
3. Preheát oven to 375°F / 190°C. Line 2 báking sheets with párchment páper. Set áside.
4. Máke the Pâte à Choux: In á heávy-bottomed sáucepán bring wáter, butter, sugár, ánd sált to á boil. With á wooden spoon stir in flour ánd cook for ábout 2-3 minutes until it stárts to form á film on the bottom of the pán. Tránsfer to á lárge mixing bowl ánd let cool ábout 2 minutes.
5. Stir in one egg át the time. Áfter every egg, the dough will sepáráte. Keep stirring until the dough comes together ágáin. In the end, the dough will be sticky ánd firm enough to hold á stiff peák.
6. Máke the egg wásh: In á smáll cup stir egg ánd wáter to combine. Set áside.
7. Tránsfer Pâte à Choux to á piping bág fitted with á stár tip (I used the Wilton 1M tip). Stick á bit of dough on the báking sheets underneáth the párchment páper to fix the páper. Pipe ten ábout 4-inch long ánd 1/2-inch wide (10x1,5cm) strips on the 2 prepáred báking sheets with enough spáce in-between (ábout 2-3 inches) ánd spin the tip. Press down the tip with wet fingers thát they don't get too brown or burn. Lightly brush with egg wásh.
8. Báke one báking sheet át the time for ábout 30-35 minutes until puffed ánd golden brown. They need to sound hollow when knocking on the bottom. Don't open the oven during the báking time or the ecláirs will collápse. I báked mine for 33 minutes. Let cool to room temperáture.
9. Fill the creám puffs by cutting the ecláirs in hálf horizontálly. Pipe the chocoláte filling into the ecláirs. Set áside.
10. Máke the chocoláte gánáche: Pláce chopped chocoláte in á lárge heátproof bowl. Microwáve heávy whipping creám until very hot ánd lightly simmering for ábout 1-2 minutes. Pour over chocoláte ánd let stánd 1-2 minutes. Stir until smooth, ánd the chocoláte is completely melted. Ádd corn syrup ánd stir until combined if desired (for extrá gloss, totálly optionál). Let stánd for ábout 5 minutes.
11. Pláce ecláirs on á wire ráck. Spoon chocoláte gánáche (ábout 1 tbsp of gánáche per ecláir) on top of the ecláirs ánd let dry. Store leftovers in án áirtight contáiner in the fridge up to 3 dáys.

This article and recipe adapted from this site