Is there anything more mouthwatering than a freshly-made eclair? Yes, there is: fresh eclairs topped with three delicious chocolate glazes. You'll just have to try one of each.

Recipe and Styling Natalia Homan | Photograph Brendan Homan

Chocolate-glazed eclairs
makes 12

choux pastry
65ml milk
65ml water
pinch salt
5g caster sugar
45g butter, diced
70g flour
2 large eggs
vegetable oil spray

creme patisserie
3 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
20g flour
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
250ml milk
125ml thickened cream, whipped to soft peaks

glazes*
dark & milk chocolate
150g dark (>50%) or milk chocolate, buttons or finely chopped
80ml thickened cream
15g unsalted butter
1 tbsp glucose

white chocolate
150g white chocolate, buttons or finely chopped
15g unsalted butter
1 tbsp glucose

garnishes
dried orange slices
crushed coffee beans and grated chocolate
slivered pistachios

Preheat oven to 170C. Place milk, water, salt, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil over med/high heat. When the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Return to the heat and continue stirring until a shiny ball of dough forms. Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the dough slowly to release steam and cool slightly. Add the eggs one at time, mixing until well incorporated.

Transfer the dough into a pastry bag with a large fluted nozzle. Pipe 9cm lengths of the dough onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. For best results, ensure the nozzle is positioned at a 45-degree angle to the tray. Push down any peaks in the pastry with a damp finger. Spray the eclairs with oil spray. Bake for 30 minutes, or until deeply golden. When cooked, quickly pierce the base of each eclair with the point of a knife to release any steam trapped inside. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

To make creme patisserie, place milk into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, place egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and flour into a medium bowl and whisk well to combine. Pour the milk into the bowl in a steady stream, whisking continuously to combine. Pour the mix into the saucepan, bring to the boil, stirring continuously, and cook until thick and glossy. Place into a container, covering the surface with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming, and store in the refrigerator

Prepare the glazes. For the dark and milk chocolate glazes, heat the cream in the microwave and pour over the chocolate pieces, add the butter and glucose, stir to melt the chocolate. If not completely melted, microwave for 10-second bursts, stirring each time, until melted.

For the white chocolate glaze, place the chocolate pieces in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring in between, until melted. Add butter and glucose and stir until smooth.

Place creme patisserie into a medium bowl and whisk to loosen slightly. Fold through whipped cream.

To assemble, place the pastry cream into a pastry bag fitted with small plain nozzle. Cut the eclairs in half, pipe the pastry cream onto the base. Dip the top of the eclairs into the glaze and place on top of the pastry cream. Top with the garnish of choice. Allow 15 minutes to set before serving. Eclairs are best enjoyed at room temperature.

*These quantities are sufficient to glaze all 12 eclairs, if you wish to simply use one variety of chocolate. Store leftover glaze in the refrigerator for up to a week – delicious over ice cream!

 

This recipe first appeared in the September 2021 issue of SALIFE magazine.