Eclairs

I have made mini eclairs at home many times, especially when I crave something that reminds me of childhood. Usually, I get to work when I have leftover eggs or if I need a simple dessert for guests. I have noticed that if I don't use a piping bag and just work with a spoon, they come out rather round, but the taste remains the same.

Quick Info

Total time: about 1 hour
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes (depending on the oven)
Servings: 25-30 small pieces (varies by size)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: classic dessert, suitable for family or holiday snacks

Ingredients

For the eclair dough:
1 cup oil
1.5 cups water
2 cups flour
8 eggs
1 pinch of fine salt

For the filling:
1 packet chocolate pudding
1 packet lemon cream (or other preferred cream)

For the glaze:
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons hot water

Preparation method

1. Start with the eclair dough. Put the water, oil, and salt in a pot over low heat. When it boils, remove the pot from the heat and add all the flour at once. Mix immediately with a mixer or a wooden spoon. You should get a thick mixture that doesn’t stick to the pot.

2. Let the dough cool for a few minutes, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. If you use a mixer, it’s easier to homogenize. The dough should become shiny and pull away from the sides of the pot.

3. Finally, add 6 tablespoons of cold water over the dough and mix a little more, still with the mixer. The dough is ready when it is firm but not dry.

4. Preheat the oven to medium temperature (180-190°C). Prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

5. Put the dough in a piping bag or use a spoon if you don’t have one. Shape the eclairs directly on the tray, leaving space between them. If you use the spoon, they come out round, similar to choux.

6. Bake them for 20-25 minutes until they puff up and brown slightly on top. Do not open the oven in the first 15 minutes, or they will deflate. Finally, remove them and let them cool completely.

7. Cut each eclair lengthwise or in half with a sharp knife.

8. Prepare the creams according to the instructions on the packet (usually with cold milk and a mixer). Fill the eclairs with cream using a teaspoon or piping bag.

9. For the glaze: mix the powdered sugar with cocoa in a cup. Add the oil and mix vigorously. Then gradually add hot water and continue mixing until you get a fine, slightly fluid glaze.

10. Spread the glaze over each filled eclair. If you have many eclairs, double the quantities for the glaze.

11. Let them cool for a few minutes for the glaze to set.

Why I make the recipe often

Mini eclairs are easy to adapt once you get the method down. They don’t require complicated ingredients. Additionally, they can be filled with almost any cream after you finish the dough. They are perfect if you need something to offer quickly or for Sunday dessert. The recipe holds up well if you double it, especially if you have many guests.

Tips and variations

Tips

1. If you use a mixer, the process is faster, but it also works manually with a wooden spoon.
2. It’s important that the dough is neither too soft nor too dry. Its consistency should be firm but flow slowly.
3. Do not open the oven in the first 15 minutes – otherwise, they will deflate.
4. For the glaze, first mix the dry ingredients, then the oil, and finally the hot water.

Substitutions

1. Instead of cream from a packet, you can use any preferred cream (vanilla, whipped cream, or even jam).
2. If you don’t have olive oil for the glaze, a neutral oil (sunflower) will also work.
3. Powdered sugar can be replaced with finely ground granulated sugar if needed.

Variations

1. Eclairs can be made smaller for finger food snacks.
2. For the filling, you can combine creams – half chocolate, half lemon.
3. You can roll the eclairs in coconut or ground nuts after glazing for a different look.

Serving ideas

They are served cold, as a dessert with coffee or tea. They are suitable for platters for guests or at a festive table. You can arrange them on a platter and additionally decorate with thin slices of lemon or mint leaves.

Frequently asked questions

How many eggs should I put?
There are 8 eggs in the quantities of dough in the recipe. Do not reduce the number, or the dough will not rise correctly.

Why don’t the eclairs puff up?
It could be because the dough doesn’t have the correct consistency or because the oven isn’t hot enough at the beginning. Opening the oven too early can also lead to failure.

What cream works best?
Any cream from a packet works – chocolate, vanilla, lemon. If you prefer something less sweet, you can also use whipped cream or sweet cream cheese.

Can I use sunflower oil for the dough?
Yes, it also works with sunflower oil. It doesn’t significantly alter the taste of the dough.

Do I need to grease the parchment paper?
It’s not necessary if the paper is non-stick, but sometimes with older trays, it helps to grease a bit with oil.

Nutritional values

Estimated for 1 small eclair (without filling, just dough and glaze):
Calories: approximately 80-100 kcal
Carbohydrates: 10-12 g
Fats: 4-5 g
Proteins: 2-3 g
The values increase with the cream – for a standard filled portion, you can reach 130-150 kcal per eclair. These are just estimates, it depends a lot on the size of the eclairs and the cream chosen.

Storage and reheating

Filled eclairs last in the fridge for about 1-2 days, but the fresher they are, the better. The empty dough can be kept for 2 days in airtight containers in the fridge. They don’t freeze well, as they become too soft when thawed. Do not reheat them, they dry out. The simplest way is to fill and glaze them before serving.

 Ingredients: 1 cup of oil, 1 and 1/2 cups of water, 2 cups of flour, 8 eggs, a pinch of fine salt, cream of your choice; I used 1 packet of chocolate pudding and 1 packet of lemon cream. For the glaze: 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar + 3 tablespoons of cocoa + 2 tablespoons of olive oil + 3 tablespoons of hot water.

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