Description
Delicate French Strawberry Eclairs blend classic pastry techniques with sweet summer charm. Crisp choux pastry shells filled with luscious strawberry cream offer pure culinary elegance you cannot resist.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry Dough:
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 3–4 eggs
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons water
Decoration and Filling:
- 8 ounces (226 g) white chocolate, chopped
- Pink gel food coloring
- Strawberry custard (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Create the dough base by combining water, butter, salt, and sugar in a saucepan, bringing to a rolling boil.
- Remove from heat and vigorously stir in flour until a smooth, unified mixture forms, continuing to cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and incorporate eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully integrated before adding the next. Assess dough consistency, potentially adding a fourth egg if needed.
- Transfer dough to a piping bag and expertly pipe 5-inch elongated shapes onto the prepared baking sheet, maintaining consistent size and spacing.
- Delicately brush piped dough with egg wash, creating a glossy, golden finish.
- Place in preheated oven and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, allowing pastry to rise and develop initial structure.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
- Remove from oven and allow pastries to cool completely on a wire rack, ensuring proper texture development.
- Create a small opening in each pastry’s end and carefully fill with strawberry custard using a piping technique.
- Prepare glaze by melting white chocolate and incorporating pink gel food coloring for a delicate, vibrant finish.
- Dip pastry tops into the pink glaze, ensuring even coverage and elegant presentation.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour to set glaze and enhance flavor before serving.
Notes
- Test egg consistency by creating a smooth ribbon when lifted with a spatula, ensuring the perfect choux pastry texture.
- Use room temperature eggs for smoother incorporation and better pastry rise during baking.
- Pipe uniform dough lengths for consistent pastry size and even baking results.
- Try alternative fruit fillings like raspberry or mixed berry custard for diverse flavor profiles.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 344
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 115 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg