Servings: 24 caramel mini eclairs
Equipment
Ingredients
Caramel:
- 4 oz white sugar ~112g
- 1/2 cup heavy cream ~120g
- 3 tbsp butter ~42g
- 2 pinches salt to taste
Pastry Cream:
- 2 cups milk ~480g
- 4 egg yolks medium or large (about 60-70g)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch ~40g
- 7 tablespoons sugar ~87g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter ~28g
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
Instructions
Make Caramel:
- Prep Ingredients: Measure and prepare all ingredients before starting; leave butter at room temperature.
- Heat Cream: Warm heavy cream until bubbles appear around the edges, then turn off heat but keep it on the stove.1/2 cup heavy cream
- Add Sugar: In a saucepan, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar. Set aside the remaining sugar.4 oz white sugar
- Melt Sugar: Heat sugar on medium without stirring, wait for edges to melt, then reduce to low.
- Dissolve Sugar: Use a whisk or heat resistant spatula to gently move and melt sugar. Add remaining sugar gradually until fully dissolved.
- Monitor Color: Watch as the sugar turns golden to amber. If it smells burnt, start over with lower heat.
- Combine Cream: Slowly add hot cream in small increments (1 to 2 teaspoons in the beginning) to melted sugar, stir gently, and manage any sugar re-crystallization by heating. Remove from heat after adding half the cream and continue adding the cream until everything is incorporated.
- Add Butter: Mix in room temperature butter until smooth.3 tbsp butter
- Season with Salt: Add salt, taste, and adjust.2 pinches salt
- Strain Sauce: Strain through a fine sieve to remove any crystals.
- Divide: Divide the caramel sauce in half. We’ll use half as the topping and the other half to make the pastry cream.
- Cool & Store: Let cool to room temperature then refrigerate if not using immediately.
Make Pastry Cream:
- Boil Milk: In a pot, mix milk with caramel and vanilla extract, and heat until almost boiling.2 cups milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Prep Yolks: Whisk yolks in a bowl, then mix in cornstarch and sugar.4 egg yolks, 4 tablespoons cornstarch, 7 tablespoons sugar
- Temper Eggs: Gradually add a few tablespoons of hot milk mixture 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, salt, or vanilla if needed.
- (Optional) Strain: If you're not sure your pastry cream is nice and smooth, strain it.
- Chill: Cover with plastic wrap touching the cream's surface to avoid crust formation. Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate if not using immediately.
Eclairs:
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Boil Butter Mixture: In a pot, mix butter, milk, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil, ensuring the butter melts completely.¼ cup water, ¼ cup milk, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2½ oz all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp salt, 1¼ tsp sugar
- Add Flour: Off the heat, add the flour and stir. Return to low heat, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes until the dough is thick, glossy, and leaves a thin film on the pot bottom.2½ oz all-purpose flour
- Cool Dough: Transfer dough to a bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes, spreading it out to cool faster.
- Whisk Eggs: Beat eggs in a separate bowl.2 large eggs
- Mix Dough: With the dough slightly cooled, mix with a hand mixer. Gradually add half the eggs, mix, then add the remaining eggs bit by bit until the dough forms a 'V' shape when lifted with a whisk or spatula.
- Prepare Tray: Line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat. Optionally, draw 4- to 5-inch lines with 2 inches in between on the parchment as a guide for piping.
- Piping Prep: Fill a piping bag with a large tip with the eclair dough.
- Pipe: Pipe the dough into strips on the tray, spaced more than an inch apart. Smooth any irregular ends with wet fingers.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for 40 minutes (30 to 35 minutes for minis), reducing the temperature if the eclairs start to brown prematurely, and open the oven door slightly for the last 5 minutes to release steam.
- Cool: Let eclairs cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
Assembly:
- Prep Eclairs for Piping: Use a small round piping tip to poke three holes (two for minis) in the bottom of each eclair, or slice them in half horizontally.
- Whisk Pastry Cream: Whisk the pastry cream until smooth and ready for piping.
- Pipe Eclairs: Gently fill each eclair until the pastry cream starts to come out of the holes or any cracks.
- Top with Caramel Sauce: Dip the top of each eclair in caramel sauce. Warm the sauce in a double boiler if needed to ensure it’s thin enough.
- Serve or Refrigerate: Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for later.
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