Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast Breads & Pastries Pastries Chocolate-Frosted Éclairs 5.0 (4,355) 15 Reviews These light, fluffy eclairs were created by famed pastry chef Joanne Chang, co-owner of Boston's Flour Bakery + Café. By Joanne Chang Joanne Chang Joanne Chang is a James Beard award-winning pastry chef, restaurateur, and five-time cookbook author with close to 30 years in the culinary industry. Since 2000, she's been the owner of Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe — now with 10 locations — and in 2007 opened the acclaimed restaurant Myers+Chang with her husband Christoper Myers. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 28, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: © Anna Williams Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Yield: 12 éclairs A good éclair can be hard to find, but the best, like this recipe, are absolutely spectacular. Frequently asked questions What is the difference between a chocolate éclair and a cream puff? Éclairs and cream puffs — also called profiteroles — are both made from choux pastry. The main difference lies in the shape; regardless of size, éclairs are oblong and cream puffs are round. Both are filled with some type of cream or custard, be it whipped cream, pastry cream, or chiboust cream, either plain or flavored. Éclairs are usually finished with a glaze, ganache, or fondant icing; cream puffs can be similarly topped or served with a sauce instead. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Joanne Chang loves this classic dessert, especially since she lightened the typically thick pastry cream filling with whipped cream. The resulting éclairs are the fluffiest around. You can make each of the components in advance and assemble them at the last minute. Make ahead The individual components can be prepared ahead of time, but don't assemble the éclairs until shortly before you're ready to serve them. The baked shells can even be made up to a couple of months in advance and frozen, though the pastry cream shouldn't be prepared more than a day ahead. The chocolate glaze needs to be used warm, so make it right before you're ready to ice your éclairs to avoid having to reheat it. Ingredients Choux Pastry 1 cup water 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 large eggs Pastry Cream 2 cups whole milk 1/4 vanilla bean, seeds scraped 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons cake flour Pinch of kosher salt 1 large egg 2 large egg yolks 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream Chocolate Glaze 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened Directions Make the Choux Pastry Preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium saucepan, bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil over moderate heat. Remove pan from heat. Add flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes, until dough comes together and a film forms on the bottom of the pan. Transfer dough to a large bowl and beat at medium speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1-inch round tip. Pipe 12 (5-inch-long) logs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 325°F and bake shells for 30 minutes longer, until golden brown. Transfer to a rack and let cool. Make the Pastry Cream In a medium saucepan, bring milk, vanilla bean, and seeds just to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk sugar with cake flour and salt. Whisk in egg and egg yolks. Slowly add hot milk, whisking constantly. Pour mixture back into saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Continue to boil pastry cream, whisking constantly, until thick, about 30 seconds longer. Immediately strain pastry cream through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until cool. In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Whisk pastry cream, then fold in whipped cream until blended. Make the Chocolate Glaze In a medium bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave at 50% power, being careful not to overheat it. Whisk in butter until smooth. Assemble the chocolate éclairs With a serrated knife, split éclair shells lengthwise. Spoon a generous amount of the pastry cream into the bottom half of each shell. Dip top half of each shell into the chocolate glaze, close éclairs, and serve. Originally appeared: June 2002 Rate It Print