Servings: 18 dulce de leche mini eclairs
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
Dulce de Leche Pastry Cream:
- 1 1/3 cups milk ~320 g
- 4 egg yolks medium or large, about 60-70 g
- 3 1/3 tablespoons cornstarch ~33 g
- 3 tablespoons sugar ~37 g
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dulce de leche 160 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ~28 g
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
- 3 oz dark chocolate ~85 g
- 1/3 cup heavy cream ~80 g
- 1 tablespoon butter ~14 g
Instructions
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.
- 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.
- Cool & Prep Eggs: Transfer dough to a bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a separate bowl.
- 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.
- 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.
Dulce de Leche Pastry Cream:
- Heat Milk Mixture: In a saucepan, whisk milk, vanilla, dulce de leche, sugar, and salt; heat until steaming.
- Prep Yolks: In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons of the milk mixture (while it's still lukewarm) until smooth.
- Temper Eggs: Slowly add a few spoonfuls of hot milk to yolk mixture, whisking to prevent curdling. Repeat until most of the milk is incorporated.
- Cook Until Thick: Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until thick and bubbling (typically 2–4 minutes).
- Add Butter: Remove from heat and whisk thoroughly for a minute, then stir in butter until melted.
- Taste Test: Taste and adjust sweetness or salt if needed.
- Chill: Cover surface with plastic wrap and let cool to room temperature.
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
- Heat Cream: Warm heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form around edges (do not boil).
- Combine with Chocolate: Add chopped chocolate and let sit for about a minute, then stir until smooth.
- Add Butter & Cool: Stir in butter until fully melted. Let ganache cool, stirring occasionally, until thick but pourable.
Assemble:
- Prepare Eclairs: Poke 2–3 small holes in the bottom of each cooled eclair (or slice them in half horizontally).
- Whisk Pastry Cream: If chilled and stiff, loosen by whisking until smooth.
- Fill: Pipe cream into the holes until it starts to come out of the other end (or spread cream if using the sliced method).
- Top with Ganache: Dip tops in ganache (consistency should be like syrup or honey). Smooth excess if needed.
- Decorate & Serve: Optionally swirl a bit of dulce de leche on top. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
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