Classic Vanilla Eclairs (French Pâte à Choux Recipe)
Classic vanilla eclairs made with crisp pâte à choux, filled with creamy vanilla pastry cream, and topped with a sweet glaze. A bakery-style French dessert you can make at home.
Servings 10 eclairs
Calories 599kcal
Ingredients
For Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 4 cups Milk
- 1 cup Sugar divided
- 8 Egg Yolks
- 1/2 cup Cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons Butter
- 1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
For Pate Au Choux
- 2/3 cups Water
- 2/3 cups Milk
- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 10 tablespoons Butter
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/4 cups Bread Flour
- 1 cup Eggs (about 5 large)
For Vanilla Glaze
- 2 1/4 cups Confectioners Sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
- 3 tablespoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Food coloring optional
- Sprinkles optional
Instructions
For Vanilla Pastry Cream
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until combined. Add in the cornstarch and half of the sugar. Whisk again until creamy
- In a large saucepan, bring the milk and the other half of the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat
- Carefully, temper the eggs, that means to bring up the temperature of the yolks without cooking. To do that, add a bit of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking vigorously. Then slowly add the rest of the milk mixture. Do not stop whisking
- Pour the whole mixture back into the pot and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens
- Strain the pastry cream into a clean bowl and add the vanilla and butter. Stir until butter melts
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap touches the pastry cream directly (to avoid creating a film)
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely chilled.
For Pate Au Choux
- Make 5" straight lines in parchment paper using a pencil. Turn the paper over and use it to line a sheet pan
- In a large pot, heat the water, butter, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt on medium heat until the mixture boils
- When the mixture boils dump all the flour at once and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until all the white specks disappear and the dough pulls away from the walls of the pot
- Place the dough in a mixer fitter with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for a few minutes to cool down the dough
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together until combined
- Slowly add the eggs into the dough while the mixer is still running
- Pate Au Choux should be shiny and hold its shape
- Place dough in a piping bag fitted with a star tip
- Using the straight lines as a guide, pipe the eclairs onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheet
- Freeze dough for a couple of hours
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until eclairs are golden and firm to the touch
- Remove from heat and cool
- Make 3 holes on the bottom using a knife or piping tip
For Glaze
- In a bowl, mix powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk
- Add more milk as needed until smooth and pourable
- Add food coloring if desired
Assembly
- Place chilled pastry cream in a piping bag fitted with a small tip
- Pipe in the cream into each of the holes of the eclair until the pastry feels full
- Clean the bottom of the eclair with a spatula
- Dip each eclair into the glaze while shaking off the excess. Decorate with sprinkles (optional)
Notes
- Do not open the oven while baking, or eclairs may collapse
- Dough should be smooth and pipeable before baking
- Freeze piped dough to help maintain shape
- Fill eclairs just before serving for the best texture
- Dough should be smooth and pipeable before baking
- Freeze piped dough to help maintain shape
- Fill eclairs just before serving for the best texture
Nutrition
Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 306mg | Sodium: 490mg | Potassium: 221mg | Sugar: 57g | Vitamin A: 1090IU | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 1mg
