Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Éclairs Recipe
Not even the best patisseries round city can compete with home made éclairs! Not like shop-bought éclairs, the light-as-air choux is at its absolute, delicately-crisp finest. Full of Chantilly whipped cream and coated with a shiny chocolate glaze, that is an éclairs recipe that anybody can comply with!
The most effective bakeries and patisseries make many issues we extraordinary house cooks can not. However the one candy deal with we house cooks will all the time be capable of do higher than even an incredible patisserie is éclairs – these delicate glazed French choux buns filled with a wealthy, creamy filling.
It sounds unlikely however the reason being easy. When you fill an eclair, inside quarter-hour the delicately crispy floor of the choux pastry begins softening. What was initially mild with a wafer-like exterior begins deteriorating to a extra spongey texture as moisture will get absorbed by the choux.
That is inevitably the destiny of all ready-to-eat pre-filled eclairs bought at patisseries. After all they’re nonetheless completely scrumptious! However the expertise of consuming a home made eclair in its optimum state of freshness is one thing else completely – one thing everybody ought to strive it at the least as soon as of their life.
Make in the present day the day and skim on!!!
Whereas éclairs within the fantastic world of French pastries are made with custard piped inside, éclairs as we all know them right here in Australia are break up open and crammed with whipped cream (particularly, Chantilly cream). And fairly generously at that! No person needs an éclair that doesn’t have cream bursting from the seams!
So in the present day’s recipe is for Aussie éclairs. French éclairs, subsequent yr!
Éclairs are made up of three issues:
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Choux pastry (pâte à choux) – A lightweight and ethereal pastry with a skinny, golden, delicately crispy crust. Choux is a basis pastry in baking, significantly French pastry. It’s used for favourites resembling profiteroles, gougères (French cheese puffs!) and the enduring Paris Brest (a large choux pastry “doughnut” crammed with hazelnut custard, which I adore!).
It’s additionally a detailed cousin to non-French classics like churros, Yorkshire pudding and American beignets by way of its texture and composition.
It’s basically easy to make, utilizing simply water, butter, flour and eggs.
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Chantilly cream – The French title for frivolously sweetened vanilla-flavoured cream. I’ve executed a separate publish on Chantilly Cream – learn how to make it, learn how to stabilise cream to cease it deflating, and all of the issues you are able to do with this traditional cream! However the instructions are additionally included on this éclairs recipe.
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Chocolate glaze – Simply chocolate and cream plus glucose or corn syrup if you would like a beautiful shiny end.
The comply with part walks by learn how to make every of the above elements and learn how to assemble an éclair.
I discover numerous recipe assets are likely to make an enormous deal about how choux pastry is notoriously tough to make until you comply with exact instructions and a great deal of dogmatic “guidelines”. However actually, it’s not onerous in case you comply with a number of primary steps. I’ve by no means skilled a failure with my recipe, although I’ll say the one step I added over time to make it much more foolproof is to chill the dough earlier than including the eggs.
1. Components in choux pastry
The above elements are customary for choux pastry. Some recipes decide to make use of a mix of milk and water. I exploit solely water as a result of I discover the shell comes out a little bit crisper.
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Eggs – Being fussy in regards to the eggs is definitely actually vital as a result of choux pastry depends on egg to puff up.
Measurement – Use giant eggs which might be 55 to 60g / 2 ounces every within the shell, a typical measurement bought in supermarkets with the cartons helpfully labelled “giant eggs”! If you happen to use actually large eggs or tiny eggs, you’ll throw out the ratios within the recipe and your combination might be too free (choux will unfold within the oven) or too stiff (choux gained’t rise).
The best way to measure – In case your carton doesn’t have a label on it, or you have got totally different sized eggs, simply crack and whisk your eggs in a jug then measure out 200ml (4/5 cup).
Room temperature – And the final egg rule! Be certain that your eggs are at room temperature, not fridge-cold, so that they incorporate extra simply into the combination.
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Flour – Simply plain / all-purpose flour. I do know some recipes swear by bread flour and cake flour. I discover bread flour makes the choux pastry too agency (due to the upper protein) and cake flour makes them too delicate (for the alternative purpose). Abnormal plain / all-purpose flour is a cheerful medium, I discover. Plus, it’s cheaper!
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Water – Some recipes use a mix of milk and water for the liquid, others use simply water. Milk makes the choux pastry barely much less crispy and delicate. So I choose simply water.
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Butter – That is the fats within the dough and in addition for flavour!
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Salt – Only a pinch.
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No sugar? That’s proper, no sugar! That is typical of choux pastry as recipes depend on fillings and toppings for sweetness and flavour. See profiteroles and churros as examples!
2. The best way to make choux pastry
And right here’s learn how to make choux pastry: on the range, in a saucepan!
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Butter and water – Put the butter in a saucepan over medium warmth. As soon as largely melted add the water.
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Flour – As soon as the butter and water combination involves a simmer, add the flour and blend it in, nonetheless heating on the range. At first will probably be pasty however then it is going to flip right into a sticky dough that comes away from the perimeters of the saucepan. You need to be capable of scoop it up right into a ball with a picket spoon, like pictured in step 3.
Word: Don’t let the butter-water boil for ages earlier than including flour as this may occasionally have an effect on the result of the recipe since there might be an excessive amount of warmth within the saucepan.
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Cool 10 minutes – As soon as the dough seems like pictured above, take the saucepan off the range and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Word: Don’t cool for longer than this, and don’t shortcut this step. That is a simple foolproofing measure that solves plenty of choux pastry points that folks expertise.
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Eggs – Utilizing a picket spoon, combine the eggs in one after the other, ready till every egg is combined in earlier than including the following. While you begin stirring, the dough will initially look break up with the egg however don’t fret! Preserve stirring and it’ll come collectively.
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Choux pastry – That is what it ought to appear to be! It’s like a really thick batter that’s sticky, a bit stretchy, however too moist to knead like say pizza dough.
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Piping bag – Switch the dough right into a piping bag fitted with a 15 mm / 0.6″ star tip nozzle (that’s measured from the factors of two opposing stars!). The star tip will give us a beautiful fluted bun after it bakes.
No star tip? No drawback! Simply snip a 1.5cm / 0.6″ off the tip, it really works nice you simply gained’t have the grooves alongside the bun from the nozzle.
No piping bag? Additionally no drawback! Simply use a sturdy ziplock bag.
To make sure your choux pastry comes out superbly crispy, two tips. Firstly, don’t crowd the tray. And secondly, open the oven periodically to launch steam <–- a recreation altering tip found by my French pastry chef trainer, Jennifer Pogmore. Thanks J-Po!!
1. Piping choux pastry
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Piping – See part above for piping bag and nozzle tip …errr, ideas! 🤭
Pipe on an angle, aiming for logs which might be 12 – 14 cm lengthy, 2 cm large and 1.5 cm tall (5″ lengthy, 0.8″ large, 0.6″ tall).
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Don’t crowd the tray! Make sure to depart loads of area – 5cm / 2″ – between the logs. If you happen to crowd the tray, they curiously won’t crisp up (as I discovered first hand!) due to the steam from surrounding buns. I would like to make use of 3 trays to suit all mine. In case you have an enormous oven and massive trays, you may solely want 2 trays – fortunate you! I pipe on an angle as a result of that’s how I can match essentially the most on every tray whereas leaving adequate area between every log.
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Tidy ends – Use your finger dipped in water to tidy the ends, in case you could be bothered! To be sincere, as soon as they puff up, the ends form of self-neaten. ☺️
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Able to bake! You need to have about 20 items in whole.
2. Baking choux pastry
Word: An enormous golden fur ball to photobomb your instruction pictures is non-compulsory.
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Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). On the 30 minute, 35 minute and 40 minute mark, open the door for two seconds to launch steam. This little step actually does make them further crispy and provides the crispiness an extended shelf life. I attempted it with and with out this step* and I promise it makes such a distinction!
Batches – In case you have a typical house oven like me, you will want to bake 2 trays first, then the third individually. Don’t attempt to bake all 3 trays on 3 totally different cabinets, this crowds the oven and so they gained’t crisp up correctly. In case you have a big oven and might match 3 trays throughout 2 cabinets, you’ll be able to bake them in a single batch.
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Steam launch – As described above in step 1!
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Take away from the oven. In case you have a third tray, proceed with baking it.
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Cool fully on the trays, left on the counter. Marvel on the crispy perfection!
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Cut up – As soon as the pastry has totally cooled, minimize in half horizontally utilizing a serrated knife. A serrated knife provides you with a cleaner minimize.
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Open – Place the lid subsequent to the bottom to maintain them collectively. Subsequent step – glaze the lid!
* Not as a result of I doubted J-Po, I simply needed to see it for myself!
A signature characteristic of éclairs is a shiny chocolate glaze. If you happen to simply soften extraordinary chocolate chips, the glaze gained’t be shiny. The key is a contact of glucose or corn syrup!
1. Components for shiny chocolate glaze
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Darkish chocolate – For essentially the most luxurious end, use a 70% cocoa chocolate block and chop it up your self. You should use both an excellent high quality chocolate meant for cooking (bought within the baking aisle) or Lindt consuming chocolate, in block type (pictured above).
Ordinarily, chocolate for consuming isn’t meant for cooking so it doesn’t all the time soften properly. Lindt is an exception. There are most likely different manufacturers, I’m simply not conscious of any.
Common darkish chocolate chips and chocolate melts (US semi-sweet chips) can be used. Nevertheless as a result of they’ve much less cocoa it’s a softer chocolate so you will want to make use of much less cream. See recipe notes for changes to the recipe. (For fellow baking nerds: customary darkish chocolate chips you utilize to your favorite choc chip cookies are sometimes round 40 – 45% cocoa and the chocolate isn’t as agency. Which suggests you need to use much less cream else the glaze might be too runny.)
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Cream – To loosen the chocolate right into a glaze. It should be full fats cream, not mild cream, else the glaze won’t set.
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Glucose or corn syrup (non-compulsory) – This offers the glaze a beautiful shiny end, similar to those bought at fancy patisserie shops. That is non-compulsory. If you happen to skip it, the glaze will simply be a little bit extra matte.
2. The best way to do the chocolate glaze
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Sizzling cream – Warmth the cream and glucose or corn syrup till sizzling, then pour it over the finely chopped chocolate.
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Stand – Shake the bowl so the chocolate is all submerged underneath the cream and let it stand for 1 minute.
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Stir – Use a rubber spatula to stir till clean.
Shallow vessel – If required, switch the chocolate right into a shallow bowl large sufficient to dip the éclairs. I didn’t have to do that.
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Dip the lid of every éclair into the chocolate.
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Drip off extra (or…. don’t, for impact!)
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Fridge – Place the lids again on the tray and refrigerate for half-hour to set.
Word: You’ll have leftover chocolate, as a result of too little glaze makes it onerous to dip the eclairs. I don’t suppose you want my assist telling you what to do with the leftovers! (It entails a spoon. And your mouth.)
We’re on the house stretch right here! To assemble, simply whip up the cream and pipe it on the bun base.
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Chantilly cream (French whipped cream for éclairs) – Merely beat collectively cream, vanilla, icing sugar (powdered sugar) and, if utilizing the stabilised cream choice which I extremely suggest (see beneath), mascarpone as properly till agency peaks type.
The recipe beneath contains Chantilly cream directions however if you would like extra info and ideas, head to the separate recipe right here.
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Agency peaks implies that the peaks stand straight upright , like pictured. (Comfortable peaks, however, flop over barely like Santa hats!).
Why stabilise the cream?
Stabilising whipped cream means giving it further construction so it doesn’t fully squirt out of the éclair once you take a chew (as a result of don’t you simply hate that!?), in addition to bettering storage life. You know the way cream weeps and deflates in a single day? If it’s stabilised, it gained’t and can keep prefer it’s freshly made for a few days.
Not like different strategies of stabilising cream (cornflour/cornstarch, gelatin, pudding combine), utilizing mascarpone won’t alter the flavour or mouthfeel of the whipped cream. An excellent, thoroughly-tested discovery by – yep, you guessed, it, celebrity French Pastry Chef J-Po!
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Pipe the cream generously onto the bottom of the éclairs. Use “looping” motions so that you get a pleasant thick layer of cream!
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Lid – Pop the chocolate glazed lid on and that’s it! You’re executed.
Now I ask, are you prepared for one of the crucial pleasant consuming experiences of your life??!!!
The rationale home made éclairs are so magical is as a result of choux pastry is at its absolute consuming prime when it’s been out of the oven lower than about 4 hours, and solely crammed with cream simply previous to consuming.
So right here’s my intel and sizzling recommendations on the shelf lifetime of éclairs so you’ll be able to plan and maximise the standard of your eclair-devouring expertise!
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Crammed éclairs begin to lose crispiness after about half-hour as soon as crammed with cream. The choux pastry doesn’t go soggy, it’s simply that the floor isn’t as crispy as when it’s freshly made. (See third level beneath for storage).
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Greatest solution to make forward – Unfilled complete choux pastry could be stored in an hermetic container for 3 days. Re-crisp in a 180°C (160°C fan-forced) oven for five minutes. Glaze then fill per recipe.
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Crammed éclairs will maintain for two to three days however the choux pastry loses its crispness as I’ve stated many occasions. It doesn’t cease me hoovering them down, although! They’re nonetheless superb for six to eight hours after assembling. Then they’re noticeably softer the following day. It’s actually not disagreeable, simply not fairly as prime as freshly made! Word the standard of the cream is determined by whether or not it was stabilised or not – see subsequent level.
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Stabilised cream could be stored in an hermetic container or piping bag for 48 hours. It will likely be fluffy similar to freshly made (even contained in the choux pastry) for this size of time.
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Non-stabilised whipped cream is finest made simply earlier than serving because it begins to deflate inside an hour. Whether it is piped contained in the choux pastry, it is going to deflate noticeably in a single day and by the tip of the day it is going to begin to soften.
Extra on the fantastic thing about stabilised whipped cream right here. (I’m considering – get forward to your subsequent Pav!)
You realize, I think about it my job to inform you why your life won’t be full with out making an attempt each recipe I share.
On this specific case, I actually imply it. Effectively, I all the time imply it, in fact, for each recipe! 😂 However home made éclairs are extra-special as a result of home made actually trounces shop-bought for the explanations I’ve talked about.
Effectively, that’s, until the pastry cooks are on standby to pipe the cream in recent for each order … I want (let me know if you recognize of a spot that does!)
I actually hope you give home made eclairs a strive someday. They really are magnificent! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 100g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1 cm / 1/2" cubes
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup plain/all-purpose flour
- Pinch cooking/kosher salt
- 4 large eggs (55-60g/2oz each) , at room temperature (Note 1)
- 100g/ 3.5 oz 70% cocoa dark chocolate block , finely chopped (Note 2)
- 2/3 cup thickened/heavy cream (Note 3)
- 3 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup or liquid glucose (Note 4)
- 3 cups thickened/heavy cream or whipping cream (min 35% fat, Note 3)
- 1 cup mascarpone (40%+ fat, Note 6)
- 1 2/3 cups icing sugar/powdered sugar , sifted
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract or, 2 vanilla pods (Note 7)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Position one shelf in the top third of the oven and another in the lower third. Lightly spray 3 trays with canola oil and line with baking/parchment paper.
- Simmer liquid – Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is almost melted, add water.
- Flour – Once the liquid starts simmering, add flour and salt, and vigorously stir with a wooden spoon (while still on the stove). The mixture will turn pasty then in about 10 seconds it will transform into a sticky ball of dough that comes away from the walls of the saucepan. Once this happens, remove from the stove and leave to cool for 10 minutes (no longer).
- Eggs – Add eggs one at a time, mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. At first, the mixture will look separated but when you keep stirring, it comes together. When finished the mixture should be a sticky, thick paste that holds its shape, not sloppy and loose (see video or photos).
- Pipe – Transfer mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 15 mm star tip (Note 8). Pipe logs 12-14 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, 1.5 cm tall, 5 cm apart from each other. (5" long, 1" wide, 0.6" tall, 2" apart) Do not crowd the tray else they won’t go crispy. You should get around 20.
- Bake 2 trays on the shelves for 45 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, open the oven door for 2 seconds to release steam (makes them crispier), then again at 35 minutes and 40 minutes. Remove the tray at 45 minutes.
- Cool – Remove choux buns from the oven and allow to fully cool on the trays. If you used 3 trays, bake the 3rd tray of choux pastry per above directions.
- Split – Slice choux buns in half horizontally.
- Place chocolate in a bowl.
- Pour over hot cream – Heat cream and glucose in a small saucepan over medium heat until just below boiling. Pour mixture over chocolate, shake so the chocolate is submerged. Let stand for 1 minute.
- Mix with a rubber spatula until smooth (do not use a whisk, it creates bubbles). Transfer into a wide, shallow bowl large enough to dip the eclairs.
- Coat eclairs – Dip the lid of each éclair into the chocolate. Place on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes until the chocolate is firm to the touch.
- Whip cream – Place all the Chantilly Cream ingredients in a bowl. Whip using an electric beater on medium high for 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Transfer into piping bag fitted with a star tip.
- Fill eclairs – Pipe in cream using whatever pattern takes your fancy, generously thick. Place the lid on then serve!
Notes
1. Eggs must be at room temperature, not fridge-cold. 55 – 60g/2oz each in the shell. If yours are much larger or smaller, crack the eggs into a jug, whisk, and measure out 200ml or 4/5 cup.
2. Chocolate – Use 70% cocoa baking chocolate (baking aisle) or 70% cocoa Lindt eating chocolate.
ADJUSTMENT for ordinary dark chocolate chips or melts, or semi-sweet chocolate chips: use 1 cup / 150g chocolate chips + 1/2 cup (125 ml) cream + corn syrup or glucose amount per recipe.
Reason: The chocolate is only 40 – 45% cocoa so it’s softer which means you don’t need as much cream to achieve same consistency.
3. Cream – You need to use cream that is at least 35% fat, for both the glaze and whipped cream. Higher fat = richer result = ok! Lower fat = no good. If the fat % is too low, the glaze will be too runny and the cream won’t whip properly.
4. Glucose and corn syrup – Find glucose in the baking aisle and corn syrup in speciality shops. It makes the chocolate shiny, like éclairs at patisseries!
5. Stabilised cream has the same light mouthfeel as plain whipped cream, but it has more structure so it doesn’t squirt out as much when you bite into the éclair, and it won’t weep and collapse when stored overnight. There’s various ways to make stabilised cream. Using mascarpone is the most fitting method for eclairs, I feel. It will keep for 2 days without deflating or weeping like normal cream. Lots more details in the Chantilly Cream post. Super hand for getting ahead – whip the cream the day before, dollop on cakes, Pav, mini cheesecakes and demand!
6. Mascarpone is an Italian cheese/cream that tastes like a rich cream. It has a consistency like softened cream cheese, it’s not pourable. Be sure to get a reputable brand, not an economical house brand as cheap imitations are runny (pourable) so won’t work properly as a thickener to stabilise the Chantilly Cream. More info here.
7. Vanilla pod – To scrape the seeds out of a vanilla pod, cut the pot in half lengthwise using a small sharp knife. Then scrape down the split pod using the blunt side of the knife to scrape the seeds out.
Substitute with: 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (best sub) or vanilla extract.
8. Piping nozzle – A star tip piping bag makes nicer shaped eclairs with little authentic ridges running down its length. However, plain round ones work just as well! Just snip the end of the piping bag (2.3 cm wide).
9. Making ahead – Store cooled whole choux pastry in an airtight container for 3 days. Re-crisp in a 180°C (160°C fan) oven for 5 minutes. Stabilised cream can be kept in an airtight container or piping bag for 48 hours, and it will be fluffy like freshly made! Follow recipe to assemble. Assembled éclairs will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge but the pastry softens over time. It does not stop me hoovering them down.
10. Nutrition per éclair.
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