Celebrating a birthday soon? You gotta make these chocolate eclairs with frosting and sprinkles! These chocolate eclairs are so delicious, festive and colorful, and the kids will LOVE them.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Chocolate Eclairs with Sprinkles
20-25 small chocolate eclairs
For choux pastry:
250 ml. milk
Pinch of salt
60 grams sugar
100 grams butter
140 grams all-purpose flour
3-4 beaten eggs
For dark chocolate cream:
1 gram gelatin powder
5 ml. water
250 ml. heavy cream
200 ml. milk
Pinch of salt
50 grams sugar
4 large egg yolks
250 grams chopped dark chocolate
For the glaze:
Natural Fondant glaze
Sprinkles
Preparation:
- Choux pastry: in a small pot put milk, salt, sugar and butter and bring to a strong boil over high heat.
- Once the mixture boils, remove from heat and add in the flour all at once.
- With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until smooth dough is formed and separated from the sides of the pot.
- Transfer the dough into the bowl of a mixer with a paddle-attachment and blend for 2-3 minutes, until slightly cooled.
- Add the eggs gradually while beating until dough is elastic and smooth. Check the readiness of dough by creating a “trail” with a wooden spoon in the center of the dough – if the track remains stable, add some eggs, and if it closes a bit – the dough is ready. It is important not to add too many eggs to the dough or it may become too soft and ruined.
- Transfer the dough into a pastry bag with a large serrated piping tip and drizzle 20-25 eclairs on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Preheat oven 190c degrees.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes. It is very important not to open the oven door during this time.
- After about 15 minutes, open the door slightly by sticking a wooden spoon handle in it, and bake for another 7-10 minutes, or until evenly golden.
- Cool completely at room temperature before filling and decoration.
- Dark chocolate cream: in a small bowl mix gelatin and water and set aside for 10-15 minutes at room temperature, until the gelatin absorbs the liquid.
- In a medium saucepan put cream, milk and salt and heat to simmering point.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until smooth.
- Pour about 1/3 of the hot cream mixture over the yolks, while whisking.
- Add the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining cream and stir with a sweet tooth.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 82-84c degrees.
- Dissolve the gelatin in the microwave and add into the cream.
- Strain and add in chopped chocolate. Wait a minute, and beat until creamy and smooth.
- Cool the cream in sealed box in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours at least.
- Make 2 small holes at the bottom of each eclair.
- Transfer the cream into a pastry bag with a small round piping tip and fill the eclairs.
- Coatings: heat the fondant in a small saucepan until it reaches 40-45c degrees.
- Dip the top of each éclair in fondant and shake off excess coating. The coating should be quite thin.
- Sprinkle with colored candies and leave to set at room temperature.
Notes:
- keep the chocolate eclairs in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but they are at their best on the day of preparation.
Photo: Natalie Levin