Print

Dark Chocolate Éclairs Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.4 from 96 reviews

Classic French Dark Chocolate Éclairs featuring light and airy choux pastry filled with rich chocolate pastry cream and topped with a smooth chocolate glaze. This decadent dessert combines the perfect balance of textures and deep chocolate flavors, making it an irresistible treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Choux Pastry

  • 1 cup (227g) water
  • 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, cold
  • 3/8 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (150g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 4 large eggs

Chocolate Pastry Cream

  • 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
  • 5 tablespoons (35g) cornstarch
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 cups (454g) milk, whole preferred
  • 1/2 cup (43g) unsweetened cocoa, Dutch-process or natural
  • 1/3 cup (57g) unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, cold

Glaze

  • 2/3 cup (113g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup (113g) heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lightly greasing them or lining them with parchment paper.
  2. Make Choux Pastry: In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt. Heat over medium until the butter melts and mixture reaches a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously until the dough comes together. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until dough smooths and pulls away from the pan, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool for 5 to 10 minutes until below 125°F.
  3. Incorporate Eggs: Transfer dough to a mixer and beat in eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough will look curdled initially but will become smooth after all eggs are added. Continue beating for at least 2 minutes more to incorporate air.
  4. Shape Pastry: Using a pastry bag, pipe the dough into 5-inch logs about 3/4 inch in diameter on the prepared baking sheets. Alternatively, use a spoon to drop and shape mounds into 5-inch lines.
  5. Bake Pastries: Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 25 minutes more until golden brown. Then, remove pastries, make a small slit on top of each, and return to the oven for 5 minutes to allow steam to escape and crisp the shells. Cool on a wire rack and when cool enough, slice each éclair horizontally to create top and bottom halves.
  6. Make Chocolate Pastry Cream: In a bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add egg yolks and whisk until combined. In a saucepan, heat milk and cocoa over medium until just simmering. Gradually add a quarter of the hot milk mixture to the yolk mix, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and just boiling. Remove from heat and stir in chopped baking chocolate and cold butter until smooth. Cover pastry cream with plastic wrap touching the surface and refrigerate for about 2 hours until chilled.
  7. Prepare Chocolate Glaze: In a medium bowl, combine chopped semisweet chocolate and corn syrup. Heat heavy cream to simmer and pour over the chocolate mixture. Stir until the glaze is smooth. Allow to cool slightly if too thin for dipping.
  8. Assemble Éclairs: Fill each éclair shell with the chilled chocolate pastry cream using a piping bag or spoon. Dip the tops of each filled éclair into the glaze, letting excess drip off. Serve immediately for best texture or refrigerate and consume within a few hours.
  9. Storage: Store leftover éclairs well-wrapped in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Avoid freezing as it compromises texture and flavor.

Notes

  • Do not open oven door during initial baking to ensure éclairs puff properly.
  • Allow steam to escape by slitting éclairs before the final baking stage to keep shells crisp.
  • The pastry cream must be cooled completely before filling to prevent soggy pastry shells.
  • Use high-quality unsweetened and semisweet chocolates for best flavor.
  • Éclairs are best enjoyed fresh as they do not freeze well.

Keywords: dark chocolate éclairs, choux pastry, chocolate pastry cream, chocolate glaze, French dessert, baking dessert

Find it online: https://ellaeatsdaily.com/dark-chocolate-eclairs-recipe/