How to Make Chocolate Eclairs

Ingredients

• Eclair dough:
• 200 grams room-temperature butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups white flour
• 10 grams sugar
• 6 eggs
• Method for preparing the dough:
• Eclair filling:
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• a pinch of vanilla
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• Grated zest of 2 lemons
• Method for preparing the eclair filling:
• Chocolate topping for the eclair:
• Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie, meaning place the chocolate pieces in a small pot and set that pot inside a larger pot containing hot water. Stir the chocolate pieces until they melt from the heat of the water in the larger pot.
• Using the tip of a knife, open the eclairs, fill each one with a little of the filling, then spread a layer of chocolate on the underside of the eclair so you get neat, level eclairs.
• This wonderful recipe comes from a friend of the Shou Tabkhin Today site:
• Rana Sbeiti Bazzi
• Click on Rana’s name to visit her profile on our site and see all her delicious recipes.
• To get the crème pâtissière method, click this link: Crème Pâtissière Recipe and Method

Method

1. Place the water, milk, sugar, and butter in a pot over the heat and let them come to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. When they boil, add the flour and stir quickly, then turn off the heat and set the mixture aside to cool completely.
2. Once the mixture has cooled, place it in an electric mixer and beat well. Then begin adding the eggs gradually, one after another, continuing to beat until each egg is fully incorporated and the mixture is well combined.
3. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe it into wide strips onto a tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Place the tray in a preheated oven on low heat. It is essential not to open the oven at all while baking the eclairs so they do not collapse. Check through the oven door; if you see small bubbles rising from inside the eclair, that means it is still uncooked inside.
5. Place the milk over the heat until it boils, then turn off the heat and set it aside.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Pour the mixture through a sieve and strain it. Add the hot milk over the egg mixture and stir well until the mixture thickens.