Chocolate Éclairs with Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Twelve crisp, hollow choux shells piped straight and even, filled with a thick vanilla bean crème pâtissière and dipped in a glossy dark chocolate glaze. This is the full patisserie method broken into three calm stages you can spread over two days — the pastry cream chills overnight, the shells bake and dry the same afternoon, and assembly takes fifteen minutes. The only real skills are cooking the panade until it films the pan and piping with a star tip so the ridges keep the éclairs from splitting as they rise.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter (113 g), cut into cubes
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 g), spooned and leveled
• 4 large eggs, plus 1 more if needed
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water, for egg wash

• 5 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (60–65%), finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pinch flaky salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the pastry cream: pour the milk into a medium saucepan. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the milk and drop in the pod. Warm over medium heat until steaming and just bubbling at the edges, about 4 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit 10 minutes to infuse.
2. In a bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt together, then whisk in the egg yolks until the mixture is pale and thick, about 1 minute. Fish out the vanilla pod, then slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot milk into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper them.
3. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping the corners, until the cream thickens and bubbles burst on the surface — about 3 to 5 minutes. Keep whisking hard for a full 60 seconds after the first bubble so the cornstarch loses its raw taste and the custard sets thick.
4. Off the heat, whisk in the 2 tbsp butter until smooth. Push the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a shallow dish, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until cold and firm.
5. Bake the shells: position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 425°F. Line two heavy baking sheets with parchment. Using a ruler and pencil, draw twelve 5-inch lines on the back of the parchment, spaced 2 inches apart, then flip the parchment pencil-side down.
6. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, cubed butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring so the butter melts before the liquid boils. Dump in the flour all at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula until a smooth ball forms, about 30 seconds.
7. Keep the pan on medium heat and cook the paste, smearing and turning it, for 2 to 3 minutes, until it looks matte, smells faintly toasted, and leaves a thin film on the bottom of the pan. This drives off water and is what makes the shells hollow.
8. Transfer the paste to a stand mixer with the paddle (or a large bowl) and beat on low for 1 to 2 minutes to cool it to about 145°F — no visible steam rising. Add 4 eggs one at a time, beating until each fully disappears before adding the next. The finished dough should be glossy and fall from the spatula in a thick V-shaped ribbon; if it is still stiff, beat the 5th egg and add it 1 tablespoon at a time.
9. Fit a piping bag with a 1/2-inch open star tip (such as an Ateco 868 or a French star tip). Holding the bag at a 45-degree angle about 1/4 inch above the parchment, pipe 5-inch logs along your guidelines with steady even pressure, releasing pressure and pulling forward to finish. Dip a finger in the egg wash and smooth down any peaks or tails, then brush each log very lightly with egg wash.
10. Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F without opening the oven. Reduce to 350°F and bake 22 to 25 minutes more, until the éclairs are deep golden brown all over, including the ridges, and feel light and rigid. Underbaked shells collapse, so err toward darker.
11. Turn off the oven. Pierce each éclair once at each end with a paring knife or skewer to let steam escape, return them to the turned-off oven with the door propped open a few inches, and dry for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, at least 30 minutes.
12. Fill: whisk the cold pastry cream vigorously for 30 seconds until smooth and pipeable, then scrape it into a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round or Bismarck tip. Poke three holes in the flat bottom of each shell — one at each end and one in the middle — and pipe until the éclair feels noticeably heavy and cream just starts to push back. Wipe off any overflow.
13. Glaze: put the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream and corn syrup until steaming (about 30 seconds in the microwave or in a small pan), pour over the chocolate, wait 2 minutes, then stir from the center out until glossy and smooth. Stir in the softened butter. Let cool 5 minutes to a thick but pourable consistency.
14. Holding each éclair upside down, dip the top into the glaze, lift, and scrape the excess against the rim of the bowl; flip it right side up and set on a rack. Add a pinch of flaky salt if you like. Chill 20 minutes to set the glaze, then serve within a few hours for the crispest shells.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Frozen Chocolate–Caramel Peanut Nougat Bars

Blueberry Peach Buckle with Almond Streusel

Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake with Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem