Description
Mini Chocolate Eclairs are delicate pastries filled with luscious chocolate pastry cream and topped with a glossy chocolate glaze. This classic French dessert features a rich chocolate choux pastry shell that is light and airy, filled with smooth, creamy chocolate custard, and finished with a shiny, silky chocolate coating. Perfect for special occasions or an elegant treat, these bite-sized eclairs combine sophisticated flavors and textures with visual appeal.
Ingredients
Chocolate Pastry Cream
- 500 ml full cream / whole milk
- 4 egg yolks (about 80 grams, at room temperature)
- 30 gr caster sugar
- 30 gr cornstarch
- 120 gr 70% dark cooking chocolate (finely chopped)
Chocolate Choux Pastry
- 125 ml water
- 50 gr unsalted butter
- 20 gr caster sugar
- 1 pinch fine table salt
- 60 gr plain / all-purpose flour
- 10 gr unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs (about 100 grams, at room temperature)
Chocolate Glaze
- 75 gr 70% dark cooking chocolate (finely chopped)
- 10 ml neutral oil or coconut oil
Instructions
- Chocolate Pastry Cream Preparation: Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and heat it over low heat until it reaches a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large heatproof bowl until pale, about one minute. Add the cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
- Tempering and Cooking Custard: Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking continuously to temper the eggs. Return the entire mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until the custard thickens but does not boil.
- Incorporate Chocolate: Remove the custard from heat and immediately stir in the finely chopped dark chocolate until fully melted and smooth. Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap directly on its surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill and set.
- Prepare Chocolate Choux Pastry: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine water, caster sugar, salt, and butter. Bring to a simmer until the butter melts. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder, then remove the saucepan from heat and add the sifted ingredients all at once. Stir vigorously with a heatproof spatula to form a thick paste (panade).
- Dry the Dough: Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook the panade for 2 minutes, stirring constantly and pressing the dough against the pan to dry it out. A thin skin should form on the bottom.
- Cool Dough: Transfer the dough to a large bowl or mixer bowl and allow it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes to prevent the eggs from cooking on mixing.
- Incorporate Eggs: Lightly whisk the eggs in a separate bowl, then gradually add them 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time into the dough, mixing thoroughly after each addition until the dough reaches the correct consistency—smooth, shiny, and slightly fluid, forming a loose 'V' shape when lifted.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Pipe Eclairs: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1.2 cm (1/2 inch) open star tip with the chocolate choux pastry. Pipe small logs approximately 8 cm (3 inches) long onto the lined baking sheet, leaving space between each as they will expand during baking.
- Bake Eclairs: Bake the eclairs for 25 minutes without opening the oven door to ensure they puff and dry properly. Once baked, turn off the oven and crack the door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Leave the eclairs inside for 15 minutes to dry further. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Fill with Pastry Cream: Stir the chilled chocolate pastry cream to loosen it. Transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a small round or Bismarck tip. Make two or three small holes in the bottom of each eclair and pipe the cream inside. Arrange filled eclairs on a flat tray.
- Make Chocolate Glaze: Melt the chopped dark chocolate in a microwave in 30-second bursts or over a double boiler until smooth. Stir in the neutral or coconut oil until you achieve a shiny, fluid glaze.
- Glaze the Eclairs: Dip the top of each filled eclair into the warm glaze. Gently shake off excess chocolate and place them back on the tray to set. Serve immediately or within a few hours. Refrigerate if storing, but note that shells may become soft.
Notes
- When tempering the eggs with hot milk, pour slowly while whisking to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- The custard must not boil to prevent curdling; only simmer gently.
- Use high-quality dark chocolate (70%) for best flavor and smooth texture in the pastry cream and glaze.
- Allow the choux dough to cool sufficiently before adding eggs to prevent cooking them prematurely.
- Adding eggs gradually ensures the dough reaches the perfect consistency for piping.
- Leave space between piped eclairs as they expand substantially during baking.
- The eclairs are best served fresh; storing in the fridge can soften the crisp pastry shells.
