Chocolate Eclairs

This months Daring Bakers challenge was chocolate eclairs. I have been wanting to try making chocolate eclairs for a while and making them for the Daring Bakers was the perfect opportunity. Chocolate eclairs consist of cream puff pastry or choux pastry, pastry cream and a chocolate glaze. The chocolate eclairs were pretty fun to make. The choux pastry was interesting as the dough is made on the stove top. The original recipe called for a chocolate pastry cream but I decided to go with a simple vanilla pastry cream. The chocolate eclairs turned out really well. The puff pastry was nice and light and airy and the pastry cream was cool and refreshing and full of vanilla goodness. They were a bit messy to eat but so good.

Chocolate Eclairs

Ingredients:
cream puff pastry
chocolate glaze (warmed)
pastry cream

Directions:
1. Slice the eclairs in half horizontally with a serrated knife.
2. Place the tops on a rack above parchment paper.
3. Spread the glaze over the tops and allow the chocolate to set.
4. Fill the bottoms with pastry cream.
5. Place the set tops onto the bottoms and enjoy.

Cream Puffs (Choux Pastry)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 stick unsalted butter (cut into 8 pieces)
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs (room temperature)

Directions:
1. Bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to a roiling boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and mix in all of the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
3. Continue to stir for 2-3 minutes. The dough will be soft and smooth.
4. Pour the dough into a bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time.
5. Form the dough into the desired shapes on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
6. Bake in a pre-heated 375F oven and bake for 7 minutes.
7. Stick the handle of a wooden spoon into the oven door to hold it ajar and bake for another 5 minutes.
8. Rotate the baking sheet from front to back and bake for another 8 minutes or until the eclairs are puffed and golden brown. (With the door ajar.)
9. Let the eclairs cool for a few hours.

Pastry Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean (sliced and seeds scraped)
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (sifted)
1 1/4 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)

Directions:
1. Bring the milk and vanilla bean seeds to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Mix the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in another sauce pan.
3. Temper the egg yolks and with the milk and combine.
4. Strain the mixture back into the sauce pan.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil while whisking and continue to whisk for a minute.
6. Transfer the cream to a bowl and set the bowl in an ice water bath to cool while still stirring.
7. Once the mixture has cooled some stir in the butter.
8. Return the bowl to the ice water bath and continue to stir until completely cooled.

Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:
1. Bring everything to a boil in a sauce pan while stirring.
2. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring until the sauce thickens.

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
2 teaspoons unsalted butter (cut into 4 pieces, room temperature)
3 1/2 tablespoons Chocolate Sauce (room temperature)

Directions:
1. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small sauce pan.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate.
3. Stir in the butter followed by the chocolate sauce.

Take a look at the other Daring Bakers creations.