Éclair Paste (Pâte à Choux): Methods of Preparation, Baking & Finishing

An éclair is a delicious combination of crisp pastry, luscious cream, and flavored glaze or fondant. Éclairs start with a hollow, log-shaped shell of choux pastry filled with vanilla, chocolate, or a coffee flavored pastry cream. The final addition is to dip the top of the pastry in a vanilla, chocolate, or coffee flavored glaze or fondant.

Choux pastry or pâte à choux is an unusual pastry. This dough is cooked on the stove, and then baked in the oven. It is prepared by adding flour to a boiled mixture of butter and water (like a roux). It is important that the butter melt before the water boils, to avoid too much evaporation, as this will change the consistency of the dough. Once the flour is added, the mixture is cooked just until it forms a smooth ball of dough. After removing from the heat, cool the dough to lukewarm, and then slowly add beaten egg until you have a smooth thick paste-like dough. (As the egg, is added notice that the dough first breaks apart but continuing to beat, it will come back together.) Pipe or spoon small mounds of the dough on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet. Bake the pastry at a high temperature and then lower the oven temperature. The high temperature is needed so the dough will rise quickly (leaving a hollow center) and to set the structure of the shells. Reduce the oven temperature to allow the outsides of the shells to become firm and crisp, while at the same time allowing the insides of the shells to dry out. Cut one of the shells in half at the end of baking to make sure they have dried out, because if the inside dough is still very wet (a little wet dough is fine), the choux pastry will deflate upon cooling. Once baked, turn off the oven, and then poke a couple of holes into each puff and let them completely cool in the oven, with the door slightly ajar. If the shells have a small amount of moist dough inside, remove before filling.

Once the pastry shells have cooled split them in half and fill with sweet whipped cream. The final addition is to dust the tops of the pastry shells with powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar. In order to keep the shells crisp, fill with the cream shortly before serving. Assemble the filled pastry shells a few hours before serving. Place the filled pastry shells covered and in the refrigerator.