Chocolate Éclairs with Whipped Cream Filling
With its light, crisp shell giving way to a cloud-like whipped cream centre, topped in a velvety chocolate ganache, this Classic Chocolate Éclairs with Whipped Cream Filling Recipe is a family favourite.
Ingredients
Choux Pastry
- 100 g or 7 tbsp unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup plain flour or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
Whipped Cream Filling
- 300 ml Thickened Cream or Heavy Cream/Whipping Cream
- 2 tablespoons Icing Sugar or powdered sugar/confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- 100 g Dark Chocolate A dark chocolate that is 70% Cocoa
- 2/3 cup Thickened Cream
Instructions
Choux Pastry
- Place water, unsalted butter and salt into a small saucepan. Over medium-high heat, melt the butter until the water starts to boil.
- Once boiling, add flour a little at a time while mixing. Mix over the heat once all the flour is in, stirring vigorously for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Your dough should come together in a ball and be smooth and slightly shiny.
- Take the pot off the stove and set it aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- While your dough is cooling, set up your electric hand mixer or stand mixer. (Refer to Note 1)
- Crack the eggs into a separate bowl or jug and whisk well. This allows you to add what is needed, as too much egg can make the dough runny.
- Preheat your fan-forced oven to 175°C.
- When the 10 minutes is up, place the dough into the mixing bowl and on a low speed, mix the dough for about a minute, this releases any heat that is still trapped inside and prepares the dough for you to add the eggs.
- Turn the speed to medium and slowly pour the whisked eggs into the dough. Only add a little at a time and allow the egg to incorporate into the dough before adding more. (Refer to Note 2)
- Continue adding the eggs until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
- Test your dough to see if it is ready at various intervals to avoid putting too much egg into the dough. (Refer to Note 3) (Refer to "How To Test Your Choux Pastry")
- Place some baking paper or parchment paper onto a baking tray. (Refer to Note 4)
- Using a large round or open star piping tip (17mm in diameter) and a large piping bag (45cm or larger).
- Fill the piping bag with the dough and pipe 10 to 12 cm long logs.
- Use a little cold water to smooth down the ends, and then place in the oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a light golden brown.
- Once the éclairs have finished baking, switch off the oven, but don't remove them just yet. Crack open the oven door and let them rest in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. This gradual cooling process helps to prevent the éclairs from deflating once they're taken out.
- Once cooled, place them on a cooling rack and, using a chop stix or something similar, carefully create three holes at the bottom of each éclair. This is so you can pipe in the cream.
The Cream Filling
- Add the thickened cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl. Whip the cream with an electric hand mixer until you have stiff peaks.
- Place a filling or thin piping tip into a piping or ziplock bag. Fill the bag with the cream, and carefully fill each éclair using the three holes you created.
- Then place them in the fridge until you are ready to dip them in the chocolate ganache.
Chocolate Ganache
- Add the cream to a small pot and bring to a slight simmer over medium heat; you only want the cream to be warm enough to melt the chocolate. Remove it from the heat once you see steam and bubbles forming around the edges of the pot. You do not want to boil the cream.
- Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is fully melted and incorporated with the cream.
- Dip the top of each éclair into the ganache, then allow any excess to drip off before placing them on a tray/cooling rack.
- Once they are all coated, put them back in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Notes
Note 1: if using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. You can also use a balloon whisk to do it all by hand.
Note 2: The dough will separate when adding the egg; this is normal, and it will all come together in the end.
Note 3: Too much egg will make it too runny to work with, so take your time.
Note 4: add a little melted butter or a little of the dough to each corner of the tray to help the baking paper stick to the tray.
How To Test Your Choux Pastry To test if your dough is ready, stop the mixer, and lift the paddle out of the dough. It is ready if the dough slowly drops and leaves a V shape after the drop. If using a hand mixer or balloon whisk, you can test it with a spoon. Scoop up some dough and allow it to drop off the spoon. Pro Tip: Monitor the consistency of your dough. It should be glossy, sticky and stretchy but needs to be pipable. Pro Tip: Don't worry if you have any egg mix left over in the jug. It really comes down to the size of the eggs that you use. You may also need to add an extra egg if they are too small.
Substitutions
How To Test Your Choux Pastry To test if your dough is ready, stop the mixer, and lift the paddle out of the dough. It is ready if the dough slowly drops and leaves a V shape after the drop. If using a hand mixer or balloon whisk, you can test it with a spoon. Scoop up some dough and allow it to drop off the spoon. Pro Tip: Monitor the consistency of your dough. It should be glossy, sticky and stretchy but needs to be pipable. Pro Tip: Don't worry if you have any egg mix left over in the jug. It really comes down to the size of the eggs that you use. You may also need to add an extra egg if they are too small.
Substitutions
- Butter: you can use margarine:
- Flour: While all-purpose flour is standard, you can use bread flour for a potentially higher rise.
- Dark Chocolate: Milk or semi-sweet chocolate can be used but will result in a sweeter ganache.
- Icing Sugar: Granulated or White sugar (Australia) can be used instead, but if you find you do not want sweet, cornflour/cornstarch can be used instead.