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Per serving
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- 1
Make the choux paste
Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a full boil. Add the flour all at once and stir hard until it forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan — you're cooking out the raw flour so the pastry can puff later. Take it off the heat and let it stand 5 minutes so it doesn't scramble the eggs.
- 2
Beat in the eggs
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each until the dough is smooth and glossy. It will look slippery and broken each time you add an egg — don't panic, just keep beating and it always comes back together. You want a thick, shiny paste that ribbons off the spoon.
- 3
Pipe and bake
Using a pastry bag fitted with a #10 tip, pipe nine 4x1½-inch strips onto a greased baking sheet, spaced well apart. Bake 35–40 minutes, until they are deeply golden and firm to the touch — the color is your cue, and pale éclairs collapse. Move them to a wire rack and immediately split each one open, lift off the tops, and scoop out any soft dough inside. Let them cool completely.
- 4
Fill with cream
Whisk the cold milk and pudding mix together per the package directions and let it set. In another bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, then beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla. Fold the whipped cream into the pudding — folding instead of stirring keeps the filling light and airy. Spoon or pipe it into the shells and set the tops back on.
- 5
Frost and chill
Melt the semisweet chocolate with 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave in short bursts, stirring until smooth. Stir in the remaining 1¼ cups confectioners' sugar and just enough hot water (2 to 3 tablespoons) to make a smooth, pourable glaze. Let it cool slightly, then spoon it over the tops. Chill until serving and keep any leftovers in the fridge.
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Classic Chocolate Éclairs
Created by: SugarAndButter
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 2 1/2 cup milk
- 5.1 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 oz semisweet chocolate
Instructions
- Make the choux pastePreheat your oven to 400°F. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a full boil. Add the flour all at once and stir hard until it forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan — you're cooking out the raw flour so the pastry can puff later. Take it off the heat and let it stand 5 minutes so it doesn't scramble the eggs.
- Beat in the eggsAdd the eggs one at a time, beating well after each until the dough is smooth and glossy. It will look slippery and broken each time you add an egg — don't panic, just keep beating and it always comes back together. You want a thick, shiny paste that ribbons off the spoon.
- Pipe and bakeUsing a pastry bag fitted with a #10 tip, pipe nine 4x1½-inch strips onto a greased baking sheet, spaced well apart. Bake 35–40 minutes, until they are deeply golden and firm to the touch — the color is your cue, and pale éclairs collapse. Move them to a wire rack and immediately split each one open, lift off the tops, and scoop out any soft dough inside. Let them cool completely.
- Fill with creamWhisk the cold milk and pudding mix together per the package directions and let it set. In another bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, then beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla. Fold the whipped cream into the pudding — folding instead of stirring keeps the filling light and airy. Spoon or pipe it into the shells and set the tops back on.
- Frost and chillMelt the semisweet chocolate with 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave in short bursts, stirring until smooth. Stir in the remaining 1¼ cups confectioners' sugar and just enough hot water (2 to 3 tablespoons) to make a smooth, pourable glaze. Let it cool slightly, then spoon it over the tops. Chill until serving and keep any leftovers in the fridge.