A superb éclair may be exhausting to search out, however the perfect, like these chocolate éclairs from famed pastry chef Joanne Chang, are completely spectacular. Chang loves the basic French dessert, however lightens the thick crème pâtissière by including whipped cream for an airier consistency. The end result: the fluffiest éclairs round. 

What’s choux pastry?

Choux pastry (or “pâte à choux”) is a standard French type of pastry dough that is additionally used to make pastries like cream puffs, churros, gougères, and Paris–Brests. The pastry will get its distinctive puff from a singular preparation: The butter and water are dropped at a boil, at which level the baker stirs within the flour till the liquid is absorbed. Eggs are overwhelmed in as soon as the combination cools. The ensuing dough incorporates a whole lot of moisture, which creates steam when it hits the new oven — inflating the pastry with out using leavening brokers. Recipes will usually have you ever flip the oven down after the preliminary high-heat blast, which lets the dough set (not burn) and preserves the billowy air pockets.

Notes from the Meals & Wine Take a look at Kitchen

• Should you’d slightly not break up the pastry, you may as a substitute poke holes within the backside (or at both finish) and pipe within the cream utilizing a pastry bag.
• The chocolate glaze should be used heat, so make it proper earlier than you are able to ice your éclairs.