Chocolate Éclairs

Chef Olivier Fortat,
The French Way

These French pastries are a rich, sinful, chocolate fiend’s delight.

Ingredients
Éclairs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp sugar
1 1/3 cups flour
4 eggs, beaten

Custard
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup corn starch
7 oz dark chocolate (éclairs only)

Icing
2 egg whites
2/3 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup cocoa

Method
Éclairs

1. Heat oven to 350˚F.
2. In a saucepan, bring milk, butter and sugar to a boil.
3. When milk is boiling add flour. Remove mixture from heat and stir until firm.
4. Add eggs 2 at a time until eggs disappear in dough. Mix until smooth.
5. Fill a pastry piping bag with dough and squeeze to form 10-12 3″ x 1″ éclairs on baking sheet parchment paper.
6. Bake for 30 mins (éclairs will triple in size).
7. Let cool for 20 mins.

Custard

1. In a saucepan, bring milk to a boil and then remove from heat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks. Stir in sugar.
3. In another small bowl, combine flour and corn starch.
4. Combine the two bowls plus 1/3 of the milk and whisk until firm.
5. Add remaining milk and warm over low heat.
6. Whisk in chocolate when still hot and mix well (éclairs only).
7. Remove from heat and cover with plastic. Refrigerate until cold.

Icing

1. In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients until smooth.

Assembly

1. Fill a pastry piping bag with custard.
2. Gently poke a hole in one end of the éclair and fill the inside.
3. Dip the tops of éclairs in icing one at a time.

Yields 10-12 pieces