Éclairs with Diplomat Cream
Close your eyes and imagine... pastries with a beautiful glossy glaze, a golden crust, a soft airy interior, and a sweet creamy heart filled with a million little black vanilla seeds… Can you see them? Today, we’re going to make them!
Oh, these éclairs can be so temperamental! Mine have torn, puffed up, stayed raw inside, been too puffy, too thin, “too ridged”, had no hollow center, looked like baguettes, come out crooked, flat... rffff, I know how to find faults. But aside from a few batches, they all had one thing in common — they were always delicious! If you’ve ever tried to conquer macarons, you know that the chances of getting them perfect on the first try are pretty slim. But the chances of making éclairs so good you’ll squeal with delight? Everyone has those!
I’m not going to tell you this is the ultimate golden formula for perfect éclairs — that simply doesn’t exist. It all depends on your desire and persistence. After trying countless recipes that essentially differ only in ingredient proportions, I settled on this one and consider it my best version to date.
A Few Words About Ingredients
You’ve probably heard that how your éclairs turn out largely depends on the number of eggs you add. But actually, it all comes down to the flour — specifically, the protein content. And no, I’m not going to tell you that you need to buy the most expensive flour and magic will happen. You can make éclairs with the most ordinary flour; the key is understanding what you’re working with and finding the right dough consistency.
Dough Consistency
The dough shouldn’t be too runny. It’s important to catch the right moment and add just the right amount of eggs.
