Servings: 16 mini eclairs
Equipment
Ingredients
Eclairs:
- ¼ cup water ~60 ml
- ¼ cup milk ~60 ml
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter ~45 g
- 2½ oz all-purpose flour ~70 g
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1¼ tsp sugar
- 2 large eggs ~95g after cracking
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter ~14 g, for brushing
Vanilla Pastry Cream:
- 2 cups milk ~480 g
- 4 egg yolks medium or large about 60-70 g
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch ~40 g
- 7 tablespoons sugar ~87 g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter ~28 g
Brown Butter Ganache:
- 3.5 oz milk chocolate ~100 g
- ¼ cup heavy cream ~60 g
- 1.5 tsp honey ~11 g
- 3 tbsp butter ~43 g
- pinch salt to taste
Decoration:
- pecans
Instructions
Vanilla Pastry Cream:
- Boil Milk: In a pot, mix milk with vanilla extract and sugar, and heat until almost boiling.2 cups milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 7 tablespoons sugar
- Prep Yolks: While the milk heats, whisk yolks, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons of the milk mixture (while it's still lukewarm) in a bowl.4 egg yolks medium or large, 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- Temper Eggs: Gradually add a few tablespoons of hot milk to the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling. Repeat until all milk is incorporated.
- Thicken Cream: Return mixture to the pot and cook on low/medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and bubbles (2-4 minutes).
- Off Heat Whisking: Once thick, remove from heat and whisk for another minute.
- Add Butter: Stir butter into the mixture until melted and integrated.2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the cream and add more sugar or vanilla if needed.
- Cover: Cover with plastic wrap touching the cream's surface to avoid crust formation. Cool at room temperature until the eclairs are ready for piping. Refrigerate if not using soon after cooking.
Make & Bake Eclairs:
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Combine & Boil: In a saucepan, mix butter, milk, water, salt, and sugar; bring to a boil, ensuring butter is melted.¼ cup water, ¼ cup milk, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, ¼ tsp salt, 1¼ tsp sugar
- Add Flour & Cook: Remove saucepan from heat; dump in all flour at once and stir to combine. Return to low heat and stir for 2–3 minutes until a smooth dough forms and a thin film appears on the pan’s bottom.2½ oz all-purpose flour
- Cool & Prep Eggs: Transfer dough to a bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a separate bowl.2 large eggs
- Incorporate Eggs: Mix dough with a hand mixer, then gradually add whisked eggs. Check consistency with a “V-shape” test: dough should slowly fall off a spatula, forming a V shape at the tip.
- Pipe: Pipe 4–5-inch strips onto a lined baking sheet (about 2.5–3 inches for minis). Brush lightly with melted butter.1 tbsp unsalted butter
- Bake: Place in the oven and immediately reduce temp to 356°F (180°C). Bake 35–40 minutes (30-35 minutes for minis), venting the oven door slightly in the last 5 minutes. Cool before filling.
Brown Butter Ganache:
- Melt the butter. Cube the butter and melt it in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.3 tbsp butter
- Listen for the sizzle. As it heats, the butter will sizzle around the edges. Keep stirring occasionally, especially if it foams.
- Crackling stage. The sizzle will turn into a sharper crackling sound. Keep going (and stirring regularly).
- Quiet phase. The crackling will fade and things will turn quiet. You're close.
- Check for browning. Stir and look for lots of brown specks at the bottom. A rich, nutty aroma means it’s ready.
- Remove from heat. Once browned, take it off the heat.
- (Optional) Strain the butter. If you prefer a smoother texture, pour the brown butter through a fine-mesh sieve. I typically skip this step.
- Prep Chocolate. Chop the milk chocolate.
- Warm Cream. Heat the heavy cream until just below boiling (small bubbles at the edges). Stir in the hot brown butter (including the dark bits) and cook until it bubbles. Remove from heat.¼ cup heavy cream
- Combine with Chocolate. Add the chopped chocolate and let it rest for a minute. Stir until fully melted. If needed, return the pot to low heat and stir until everything melts.3.5 oz milk chocolate
- (Optional) Blend. For a super-smooth texture, blend with an immersion blender for 10–20 seconds, keeping the blade below the surface to avoid air bubbles.
- Add Honey & Salt. Stir in honey and salt (omit if you used salted butter). Taste and adjust salt if needed.1.5 tsp honey, pinch salt
- Cool. Let the ganache sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the consistency for topping. To cool faster, set the pot in cold water and stir.
Combine:
- Prep for Piping: Use a small round piping tip (or a paring knife) to poke three holes (two for minis) in the bottom of each eclair, just large enough for the tip to fit.
- Whisk Pastry Cream: If chilled, the cream may be thick—break it up with a fork, then whisk until smooth.
- Pipe Pastry Cream: Fill each eclair through the holes until the cream starts to emerge from an adjacent hole or any crack.
- Chop Pecans: Roughly chop pecans once in each direction, leaving large pieces for crunch.
- Top with Ganache: Ensure the ganache is thick but fluid, like syrup or honey. If it’s too thin, chill it briefly in a cold water bath; if it’s too thick, warm it gently. Dip each eclair top into the ganache and smooth away excess.
- Sprinkle Pecans: Immediately sprinkle chopped nuts onto the still-soft ganache so they stick.pecans
- Serve or Refrigerate: Enjoy right away or store in the fridge.
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