White Chocolate Dipped Éclairs
Éclair means a flash of lightning, possibly due to the shiny glaze but more likely because they’ll vanish from a platter in an instant.
Our éclairs are filled with cassis pastry cream, dipped in white chocolate, and bedazzled with candied pearls.
The recipe is far more approachable than it seems (its long, I know!). If you’ve made pâte à choux and pastry cream, then it’ll be a breeze! And if you haven’t, I’ll guide you step-by-step so you know what you’re looking for along the way.
White Chocolate Dipped Éclairs with Cassis
makes 10-12 (5 or 6”) éclairs
My top tip: take your time when piping the pâte à choux as they’ll bake in the exact shape that you pipe.
Shopping List
for the pâte à choux
115 grams whole milk
115 grams water
82 grams unsalted butter
8 grams sugar
2 grams (1/2 tsp) kosher salt
125 grams all-purpose flour, sifted
196 grams large eggs (about 4 large eggs)
for the cassis pastry cream
440 grams whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
108 grams sugar
30 grams cornstarch
68 grams egg yolks
30 grams unsalted butter, diced
pinch of salt
40-45 grams crème de cassis or 40-60 grams cassis puree
for the white chocolate
300 grams high quality white chocolate (not chips)
60 grams heavy cream
10 grams coconut oil or cocoa butter
pinch of salt
candied pearls, for decorating
Equipment
2 sheet trays
parchment paper
ruler
permanent marker
2 saucepans
wooden spoon or rigid rubber spatula
stand mixer with paddle attachment
piping bags with tips x2
mixing bowls x3
whisk
fine-meshed sieve
plastic wrap
Steps
Prepare your baking sheet
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet tray. Using a ruler and a permanent marker, draw six 5-6” lines that are at least 2 inches apart.
Flip the parchment over so the ink faces down and you don’t pipe directly on the marker.
Repeat with the second tray.
For the pâte à choux
In a saucepan over high heat, combine the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring the liquid to a boil and allow the butter to fully melt.
Add the flour. Stir to combine over medium heat to cook out the moisture. The dough will pull together into a cohesive ball and a thin film will form on the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the dough to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed for 1–2 minutes to release steam and cool slightly.
Add three of the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Before adding the final egg, check the consistency (humidity, flour, and cooking determines how much egg to add). The pâte à choux dough should be soft, glossy, and thick enough to hold its shape. To test: unhook the paddle attachment, dip it in the batter, and let it fall back into the bowl. The correct consistency will form a “V” shape that slowly droops or ribbons, but doesn’t run off the paddle entirely.
*If the dough is too stiff and breaks off, rather than flows, add more egg a little at a time.
*If the dough is too runny and won’t hold its shape, you’ve added too much egg and may have to start again or make a small batch of steps 1-2 again and add it in gradually.
Transfer the pâte à choux into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch French star tip.
To pipe the éclair shells
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and drop the top oven rack to the center.
Pipe a small dot of choux under each corner of the parchment paper to hold the parchment down when it’s baking.
Hold the piping bag at a slight angle (about 45º) and let the tip gently skim the surface of the parchment. Apply steady, even pressure on the piping bag as you pipe a straight line of choux, using the drawn lines as your guide. When you reach the end of the line, stop the pressure first, then lift the tip up and over toward the opposite end of the éclair before lifting away to finish the shape cleanly. Repeat until the tray is filled.
*It’s easier to pipe towards yourself rather than away from yourself.
Lightly mist the piped éclairs with cooking spray to help them brown evenly.
Bake the first tray until the éclairs are golden brown, puffed, and feel hollow, about 30 minutes.
While the first tray is baking, pipe the éclairs on the second tray.
Repeat step 4 for the second tray.
While the éclairs are still warm, make two holes in the bottom of the éclairs big enough for a piping tip to fit. Alternatively, if you have a long tip used for donuts, you can poke a hole on one end of the éclair.
Once both trays have been baked and have been poked, turn off the oven. Return both trays to the oven with the door ajar for about 30 minutes.
For the pastry cream
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla bean and bring to a simmer.
Prepare an ice bath and set aside. You’ll need it to cool down the finished pastry cream.
Meanwhile, in a heatproof mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt together until combined.
Whisking constantly, slowly pour half of the hot milk into the egg yolks to temper.
Once smooth, add the milk/egg mixture back into the saucepan of milk. Return to medium heat and whisk constantly until the pastry cream thickens, about 5 minutes.
Once it begins to thicken, stop whisking to check for bubbles. When it begins to bubble, continue to whisk for another minute. You’re looking for a pudding-like consistency.
Remove from the heat, and whisk in the butter until it’s thoroughly combined. Add the crème de cassis and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Pass the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve over a clean mixing bowl.
Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming and transfer it to the prepared ice bath to chill.
When you’re ready to use the pastry cream, whisk until smooth and place in a piping bag prepared with a piping tip.
To fill the éclairs
One at a time, insert the tip of the pastry bag filled with the pastry cream into each hole. Pipe with steady pressure until the éclair feels heavy. Repeat until all the éclairs are filled.
Tor the white chocolate
Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Keep the heat gentle and stir the white chocolate once it begins to melt.
In a small saucepan, warm the cream to a simmer.
Pour the warm cream over the melted chocolate. Let stand for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth and glossy. The glaze should be thick enough to hold onto the éclairs when dipped. Too thick? Add a splash of warm cream. Too thin? Add more melted chocolate.
Stir in the coconut oil or cocoa butter to improve shine. Allow the glaze to cool down just slightly before dipping, about 1-3 minutes.
To dip and decorate
Holding each filled éclair upside down, dip the top into the glaze in one smooth motion.
Lift straight up, allow excess to drip, and gently swipe the edge against the bowl.
Place the éclairs on a baking sheet and while the white chocolate is still soft, decorate with candied pearls.
Place the glazed éclairs in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to set. Or store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.