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Chocolate Eclairs

By Chelsea Sugar
Chocolate Eclairs
24 servings
  • 57 reviews

  • Difficulty Easy
  • Prep time 15 mins
  • Cooking time 45 mins
  • Serves
    24
Ingredients

    100g Tararua Butter, cubed
    1 cup water (250ml)
    1 cup Edmonds Standard Grade Flour (150g)
    3 eggs

    Icing
    1 1/2 cups Chelsea Icing Sugar (225g)
    1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
    3-4 Tbsp hot water 

    Filling
    1 cup Meadow Fresh Original Cream (250ml)
    125g mascarpone
    2 Tbsp Chelsea Icing Sugar
    1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

    Preheat oven to 200°C bake. Line two large oven trays with baking paper.

    Place butter and water in medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and quickly add flour. Beat with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves the side of the saucepan and starts to form a ball. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

    Add eggs one at a time, beating with the wooden spoon after each addition, until mixture is glossy.

    Transfer mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a star piping tip (1.5cm diameter). Pipe strips of mixture, about 7cm long by 2.5cm wide, onto prepared oven trays. Leave 3-4cm between each eclair, to allow them to expand.

    Bake for 25 minutes, or until eclairs are puffed and golden, then lower heat to 120°C and bake for a further 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

    Once cool, slice eclairs in half horizontally, ready for icing and filling.

    Icing
    Combine Chelsea Icing Sugar and sifted cocoa powder with enough hot water to form a spreadable consistency. Spread on the tops of the eclairs. Leave for 30 minutes (or longer) before filling, to allow the icing to harden a little.

    Filling
    Place cream, mascarpone, Chelsea Icing Sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Use an electric beater to whip until thick. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large open star piping tip. Pipe a generous layer of cream on the bottom half of each eclair, then sandwich together with the top half.

    Best served soon after assembling. Eclairs will keep in the fridge for a few days, but do soften over time.

Tips

    For more even cooking, bake one tray at a time. Mixture will keep well in the piping bag while your first tray bakes.

    If you're struggling to remove the piping nozzle after piping each eclair strip, snip the mixture off with scissors. Dampen your finger with water and use it to gently round off the end of the eclair.

    Mascarpone makes a more stable whipped cream that holds up really well in the eclairs. However, you can replace the mascarpone with extra cream if preferred.

    Filling can be spooned into eclairs rather than piped. 

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Reviews

Average Rating
4.557
(57 reviews)


After reading the reviews, I decided to weigh the water and flour after TAREING large cup on digital scales. My normal cup for baking was too small I found. Weighed butter. Eggs were medium sized, perhaps a bit cold. Will try spooning onto tray another time as cutting corner of ziplock bagfull did not really work. (Shd have done it myself!) Anyhoo, 7 giants baking now. Bottom tray not so good. Think I would cook in two batches next time.

This is a amazing recipe and it is very simple compared to most of the recipes I come across.

The batter was super runnie and when cooked turned into deflated cookies. I checked the ingredient amounts and did nothing wrong, what happened?

The best eclair recipe hands down :) making them all the time with melted caramilk, yummmy thanks chelsea sugar x

would you be able to sprinkle the inside of the piping bag in flour to prevent the batter from sticking?

would you be able to sprinkle the inside of the piping bag in flour to prevent the batter from sticking?

This recipe never fails- always turns out perfectly . No fuss and so easy.

I make these all the time as they're always a real hit at family gatherings. The only thing I do differently is I don't pipe them (as I'm a bit lazy). I just drop table spoons of the mixture onto the lined baking tray. So instead of my eclaires being long they are round. I then simply cut them in half and fill them with cream. In the past I have also made a thick custard, let it cool and add that along with the cream.

AMAZING

I made this recipe as my second attempt in one night as the other recipe failed.... you wldnt believe how glad I was tht these worked ... Thank you!♡

if you double the ingredients, will it make more?

amaz balls

It would be really helpful to add to the method that it makes 12 (rather than in the summary at the top) as I missed this and started out with tiny eclairs....

alright not the best

I cant wait to taste these...but is it ok if I use normal chocolate?

CHELSEA SUGAR: Hi there, yes you can use chocolate if you like.

Quick and easy. Will definitely be using this recipe again.

Love this recipe. Can you freeze the batter or bake and then freeze the eclairs plain? Thanks

CHELSEA SUGAR: Hi there, yes you can freeze the plain, unfilled eclairs after baking. Make sure you store them in an airtight container or wrap them up well :)

Wonderful recipe...never made choux pastry before, so was a great introduction...we all loved the eclairs.

Hi, is this 200/120 deg C fan bake or conventional?

CHELSEA SUGAR: Hi there, it's 200°C regular bake/conventional (not fan bake).

Is the batter meant to be thick or thin?

CHELSEA SUGAR: Hi there, the batter should be quite thick but easy enough to pipe.

So easy and delicious!

How many servings does this make?
CHELSEA SUGAR: Hi there, this recipe makes 12 eclairs.

Perfect. How do I get the holes in the middle though?
Chelsea Sugar:
Cut the eclairs in half and add cream between the halves.

I always make this. It's easy to make - never fail - I love it. I love making the icing using m&m chocolate block (a whole block) and cream, the yummiest eclair ever.

Sorry, it does not say how long it cooks for. Some of mine is cut off so could you please tell me how long it cooks for?
Chelsea Sugar:
Please bake for 30 minutes at 200°C then lower to 120°C and bake for another 15 minutes.

They are so yummy and really easy to make my family loved them.

First time I've ever made eclairs and this recipe was great. Basic ingredients, quick and easy method.
Now the family wants more. Thumbs up :-)

Simple, easy to follow and a quick sweet for the family..Love it...

The best recipe - easy and simple. 4th time making so fast and yummy.

I’ve made these 3 times now . First uncooked , second perfect , third heavy . Can anyone let me know if I can use an electric mixer to add the eggs . Not as young as I used to be and find it hard work thanks.
Chelsea Sugar:
Yes, you can use an electric mixer.

delicious

chocolate eclairs with no chocolate in the recipe

Super easy and worked perfectly. Great recipe!

My mixture became too runny once I added the second egg so I ended up with Pita Pocket type crispy shells.

Very easy to follow & delicious! Only change i made was 180 degrees until golden, then poked holes through the middle of each then back in the oven for 15 minutes at 120 degrees. This worked a treat & inside was cooked perfectly.

this is the best recip ever

These tasted delicious but I found that the batter was a bit too sticky so there was a bit of trouble piping them out. But overall they tasted amazing!

These tasted delicious but I found that the batter was a bit too sticky so there was a bit of trouble piping them out. But overall they tasted amazing!

Great recipe, worked perfect first time, one of the first things I've baked, left for the full half hour as wasnt sure on how golden to make them and they were slightly overdone but still good!

Hi there, can anyone tell me what size nozzle will be best and if there is a particular shape, what is it please?
CHELSEA: we suggest using a 1.5cm diameter star tip. Recipe has been updated.

I'm thinking about doing this recipe. The only thing is that 100g of butter with 1 cup of water doesn't seem right ?? Can anyone help.
CHELSEA: this recipe has been tested and is correct.

its okay but we did not have the chocolate icing sugar and we did not want to buy some so the icing was hard to make but we love your recipes

Perfect recipe, puffed up beautiful
I made sure there was a really good rolling boil with butter and water, I beat really well after each egg addition so that mixture became glossy and combined, I made sure the mix wasn't too hot when adding eggs - warm to touch, and I ensured a hot hot oven (I had mine on fan bake and they were golden brown in 12mins, although this is just what worked for me and I wouldn't reccomend for everyone) - got hubby to whip open the door while I banged then in! I also used fresh home produced free range eggs - whether fresh eggs makes a difference or not, I dunno.

This recipe is easy to follow even for kids!!
You just need to keep mixing.
Great!!!!

Easiest recipe ever....never fails

I keep trying but fail miserably each time! I love your recipes but this one I just cant nail....

Great recipe, simple to follow, works every time and most importantly DELICIOUS!!!!!!!

My eclairs never rise the last 4 times I have made them. some one please tell me what I did wrong.
CHELSEA: Hi there, having the correct oven temperature is key to getting the eclairs to expand. Make sure the oven is preheated (you can use a thermometer to check your oven temperature is accurate) and the door not left open too long when you put the eclairs in. Also, ensure the butter and water come to a rolling boil and that you beat the mixture until it comes away from the side of the saucepan.

BRILLIANT.!!!!!

Easy to follow and turned out perfect 1st time.

Made this recipe twice now and both times the shells didn't expand. Not sure what I'm doing wrong but it's very frustrating! :(
CHELSEA: Hi there, having the correct oven temperature is key to getting the eclairs to expand. Make sure the oven is preheated (you can use a thermometer to check your oven temperature is accurate) and the door not left open too long when you put the eclairs in. Also it is important to follow the method exactly. Ensure the butter and water come to a rolling boil and that you beat the mixture until it comes away from the side of the saucepan. Good luck!

This recipe works!!

Easy to make, can't go wrong with this great recipe!

I have not had much luck with eclairs in the past.
I made these ones for the first time today and they turned out perfect. Thanks so much for the recipe, a real keeper.

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so good

Its good, these chocolate eclairs are perfect for school food festival, thanks!!!

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First time I have made these. Easy recipe, fantastic.

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