Homemade Chocolate Éclairs stuffed with Vanilla Custard

March 14, 2012

I don’t know who invented these goodies but he or she is now on my list of “Gods of food” because this dessert is so gooooddddd!

It’s basically a long cream puff dipped in chocolate…stuffed with creamy vanilla custard…need I say more?

AND they are extremely easy to make!

Really…really easy to make!! You gotta try this recipe!

Recipes inspired by: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/81/traditional+vanilla+custard
Cream Puff recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/cream-puffs/detail.aspx

  • Course: Dessert
  • Servings: 16
  • Prep. time: 40 min
  • Cook time: 40 min

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup of milk
  • 1 Cup of heavy cream (35%)
  • 1/3 Cup of white (caster if you have some) sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon of corn starch
  • 1 vanilla beans, cut in half and scraped (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 Cup of butter
  • 1 Cup of water
  • 1 Cup of all purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 Cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

Cooking instructions:

  1. In a saucepan, combine milk and cream in a small saucepan. Using a sharp knife, split vanilla bean in half lengthways and scrape out seeds. Add bean and seeds to milk mixture. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until hot (do not allow to boil). Remove saucepan from heat.
  2. Start by making the vanilla custard. In a heatproof medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/3 cup of sugar until well combined. Start by taking about 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and mix it in your egg yolks. Add another 1/2 cup and whisk constantly while doing so.. Slowly pour the rest of the milk mixture over egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
  3. Return mixture to saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 15 to 20 minutes or until custard thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon (do not allow custard to boil, as it might curdle). Put in an airtight container and let it cool completely and put in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
  4. Next, make the pastries. Start by putting the water and butter in a medium saucepan and heat up until the butter is completely melted. Add the flour in and mix thoroughly until it becomes a ball of dough. Take off heat and put the dough in a stand mixer bowl. On medium speed, add in your 4 eggs one by one until well mixed. Put dough in a piping bag and on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, pipe your eclairs, about 1 inch wide and 3 1/2 inch long. Bake in a 425F preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Take out of oven and let them cool off.
  5. In the meantime, melt your chocolate in a small saucepan on low heat, mixing frequently. Put your melted chocolate in a wide bowl, wide enough so you can dip your eclairs in it.
  6. with a sharp knife, slice the top of your eclair from end to end, deep enough to be able to stuff it with a lot of custard but not all the way through.
  7. Put your custard in a piping bag and pipe your eclairs. Careful pick them up one by one and dip the open part in chocolate to cover it completely. Place on a serving plate and put in the fridge until about 10 minutes before your are ready to serve them.
  8. Enjoy!
  • http://hermessykitchen.net Meki

    I’ve made eclairs before (not only once) but right when I took them out of my oven, they started to deflate :( I use as gas oven.

  • http://savingsomemoney.tumblr.com maximem

    Amaaaazing. And the fact that you say they are easy!!

  • http://iadorefood.com/ Alex – I Adore Food!

    Try piercing them with a toothpick about 5 minutes before they are ready! That way they should not deflate when you take them out :)

  • http://iadorefood.com/ Alex – I Adore Food!

    They really are:)

  • http://hermessykitchen.net Meki

    Thank you thank you!

  • http://iadorefood.com/ Alex – I Adore Food!

    :) it happened to me the first time I made them :) SOmetimes you also have to bake them a bit longer to make sure the outer shell can hold :)

  • Flora

    In the first instruction you mention the “milk mixture” so make the custard… Is the heavy cream part of it? It’s not used in and other part…

  • Flora

    … and vanilla??

  • http://iadorefood.com/ Alex – I Adore Food!

    Hi Flora!
    I forgot to write the first step! I corrected it as follows:
    In a saucepan, combine milk and cream in a small saucepan. Using a sharp knife, split vanilla bean in half lengthways and scrape out seeds. Add bean and seeds to milk mixture. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until hot (do not allow to boil). Remove saucepan from heat.

  • Flora

    Thank you!

  • http://iadorefood.com/ Alex – I Adore Food!

    Anytime :)

  • Nicky

    Can I stuff these with vanilla ice cream instead of custard?

  • http://iadorefood.com/ Alex – I Adore Food!

    Yes, but make sure to eat them right away, if not they will get soggy :) enjoy!

  • Marta

    hello, it’s the first time I’m here :)

    everything looks sooo delicious :)

    I’d like to ask a question about measures since I’m from Poland and they may be a bit different

    if I may ask, how much is “a cup” for you? is it 250ml? :)

    thank you for any help :)

  • http://iadorefood.com/ Alex – I Adore Food!

    Hi Martha! Thanks for stopping by :) it is a us cup is to be specific, it’s 236.5ml. :) I hope you enjoy the recipe!
    Alex