Vanilla Eclairs!

February 22, 2023

Ingredients:

For the choux pastry:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
For the vanilla pastry cream:

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter
For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the choux pastry, in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the dough cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the dough is smooth and shiny.

Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the dough into 4-inch long strips on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the eclairs are puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet.

To make the vanilla pastry cream, in a medium saucepan, heat the milk until it comes to a simmer.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks until well combined. Slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and butter.

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm.

To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth.

To assemble the eclairs, cut the cooled pastry shells in half lengthwise. Spoon or pipe the chilled vanilla pastry cream into the bottom half of each eclair. Dip the top half of the eclairs into the glaze and place them on top of the filled bottoms.

Serve and enjoy your delicious Vanilla Eclairs!