Classic Vanilla Eclair

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I love classical recipes, and this following one is one of my top favorites. This vanilla eclair recipe makes golden and crispy eclairs on the outside filled with rich and luscious vanilla pastry cream. If you’re looking for a great vanilla dessert – this vanilla eclair is just what you want and everyone loves it.

Classic Vanilla Eclair

Photo: Natalie Levin

Classic Vanilla Eclair

15-20 small vanilla eclairs

For choux pastry:
125 ml. (1/2 cup) milk
Pinch of salt
30 grams (3 tbsp.) sugar
50 grams butter
70 grams (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
2 beaten eggs

For vanilla pastry cream:
250 ml. (1 cup) milk
70 grams (1/3 cup) sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla puree
25 grams (2 tbsp.) corn starch
125 ml. (1/2 cup) heavy cream

Preparation:

  1. Make the vanilla eclairs dough: preheat oven to 190c degrees.
  2. Choux pastry: in a medium saucepan put milk, salt, sugar and butter and heat to a strong boil.
  3. Add flour and stir while cooking, until it turns into a lump of dough.
  4. Transfer the dough to the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until it cools down a little.
  5. 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.
  6. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a serrated 2 cm piping tip. On a baking tray lined with baking paper pipe 4-5 cm long eclairs. It’s important to leave some space between the eclairs.
  7. Baking: bake for 12 minutes at first. Than reduce oven temperature to 180c degrees and continue to bake for 7-10 minutes, or until golden.
  8. Cool completely before filling.
  9. Make 2 small holes at the bottom of each eclair.
  10. Vanilla pastry cream: in a small pan put milk and vanilla and bring to a simmer.
  11. In a separate bowl whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch.
  12. Pour about 1/3 of milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking well until incorporated. Then add the remaining milk and continue to mix until blended.
  13. Return the cream to the pan and cook over medium heat while whisking until a thick pastry cream
  14. Remove from the heat and transfer into a flat container. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill for 2-3 hours until completely cold.
  15. Transfer the cream into a bowl and whisk, until it returns to its original texture.
  16. Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold into the pastry cream until a uniform and smooth cream is formed.
  17. Transfer the cream into a piping bad fitted with 1 cm round piping tip and fill the eclairs.
  18. Decorate with a little powdered sugar and serve.

Notes:

  • Keep the vanilla eclairs in a sealed box in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, but it is best on the day of preparation.