Choux Pastry

A gourmet and refined dessert: crisp choux pastry topped with craquelin, filled with a light pistachio cream, and served with a silky chocolate sauce. An elegant twist on the classic profiterole, reimagined as an éclair.


Choux Pastry

Ingredients

  • 122 g milk
  • 122 g water
  • 4.2 g salt
  • 4.2 g sugar
  • 126 g butter
  • 123 g flour
  • 252 g whole eggs (≈ 5 medium eggs)


Method

  1. Bring the milk, water, salt, sugar, and butter to a boil.
  2. Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once, and stir vigorously.
  3. Place back over medium heat and dry out the dough for 1–2 minutes.
  4. Transfer to a bowl or stand mixer and let cool for 5 minutes.
  5. Incorporate the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth and supple.
  6. Pipe éclairs (10–12 cm long) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  7. Place a strip of craquelin on top of each éclair.
  8. Bake for 35–40 minutes at 180°C (convection) without opening the oven door.

 

Craquelin

Ingredients

  • 74 g caster sugar
  • 60 g soft butter
  • 74 g flour


Method

  1. Combine all the ingredients and mix until smooth.
  2. Roll out thinly (≈ 2 mm) between two sheets of parchment paper.
  3. Freeze for 30 minutes.
  4. Cut into strips the length of your éclairs.

Light Pistachio Cream

Ingredients

  • 250 g milk
  • 40 g pistachio paste (colored)
  • 40 g egg yolks (≈ 2 yolks)
  • 60 g sugar
  • 25 g cornstarch
  • 3 g gelatin sheet
  • 75 g heavy cream (35% fat)


Method

  1. Soak the gelatin in very cold water.
  2. Whisk the yolks with the sugar until pale, then add the cornstarch.
  3. Heat the milk with the pistachio paste.
  4. Pour 3/4 of the hot milk over the yolk mixture while whisking.
  5. Return everything to the saucepan and cook for 2–3 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened.
  6. Remove from the heat, add the drained gelatin, and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap in contact.
  7. Let cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight).
  8. Whisk the chilled pastry cream to loosen it.
  9. Whip the heavy cream into a firm whipped cream and fold it gently into the pastry cream in three additions.
  10. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip (14–16 mm).


Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

  • 100 g heavy cream
  • 100 g whole milk
  • 200 g dark chocolate (50–70% cocoa)


Method

  1. Heat the milk and cream gently.
  2. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate pieces.
  3. Let melt for 1–2 minutes, then stir gently until smooth and glossy.


Assembly of the Profiterole Éclairs

  • Pierce the bottom or side of each éclair.
  • Fill generously with the light pistachio cream.
  • Serve with the warm or lukewarm chocolate sauce—like a modern profiterole in éclair form.