An éclair is an oblong pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with icing.
The éclair originated during the nineteenth century in France where it was called “pain à la duchesse” or “petite duchesse” until 1850.
It is a popular type of cake served all over the world. The word is first attested both in English and in French in the 1860s. Some food historians speculate that éclairs were first made by Antonin Carême (1784–1833), the famous French chef. The first known English-language recipe for éclairs appears in the Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Mrs. D.A. Lincoln, published in 1884.
Eclairs
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: French
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2½ cups cold milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons hot water
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
- In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts completely. Reduce heat to low, and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and begins to form a stiff ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely after each addition. With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a No. 10, or larger, tip, spoon or pipe dough onto cookie sheet in 1½ x 4 inch strips.
- Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake 20 minutes more, until hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the filling, combine pudding mix and milk in medium bowl according to package directions. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in ¼ cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold whipped cream into pudding. Cut tops off of cooled pastry shells with a sharp knife. Fill shells with pudding mixture and replace tops.
- For the icing, melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth and has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and drizzle over filled eclairs. Refrigerate until serving.
3.2.2124
