Eclair
France
Also known as Éclair
About Eclair
An Éclair is a long French pastry made from choux dough, filled with cream and topped with a shiny glaze. Classic flavors are chocolate and coffee, with a chocolate or coffee pastry cream inside and matching icing on top.
Choux pastry is cooked twice: the dough is first made in a pan from water, butter, flour and eggs, then piped and baked. Steam inside makes it puff up and leaves it hollow, ready to be filled.
Éclairs appeared in France in the 19th century, possibly in Lyon, where they were first called pain à la duchesse, and are often linked to the famous chef Marie-Antoine Carême. The name means "lightning" in French, perhaps because they are eaten so quickly.
Ingredients
- choux pastry
- pastry cream
- chocolate ganache
- eggs
- milk
- sugar