Eclairs 3.0 -- No More Cracks!

Eclairs 3.0 -- No More Cracks!

Thank you @LaPatedeDom-fr for improving my eclair technique!

00:00 Intro
01:08 Experiments
04:56 Eclair Instructions

Specialized Equipment:
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Use Ateco 867 tip to pipe eclairs. After making pate a choux, place it in a piping bag and let it sit 1-3 hours at room temperature before piping. This is very important to avoid cracks. Pipe eclairs either on parchment paper or a perforated silicone mat. Each eclair should be 5 inches long and you should have 2 rows of 4 eclairs. Spray them with water. Touch up the bumps with a wet finger. Dust with powdered sugar in a sieve twice. Bake one baking sheet at a time in the preheated 350F (180C) oven with a rack in the bottom third without convection (this is important to prevent cracking) for 45 minutes or until completely firm and brown. Then pipe the second sheet of eclairs and bake.

Filling works exactly like for the cream puffs, but you’ll need to make two holes in the bottom instead of one.

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[lapatededom]

You're welcome ! It is a pleasure for me to share my knowledge. Your eclair is perfect ;)

[sofuirv]

You're welcome, I actually do not know how to prononce my name either, i'm french ahah.

These looks better than most bakeries in Paris, congratulation

[Mattvieir]

"Unless i understand WHY i'm doing something there is some stubborn part of me that refuses to do it". That's precisely why i LOVE every and each one of your videos, cause i feel exactly the same way.

[ralphmcmahan]

Don't think I have ever seen as perfect a tray of anything.

[monak]

i love the way you speak; so precisely, no unecessary words... it’s mesmerizing!

[electronicland]

Good day Helen
Not only Dom leaves the dough to rest (for 2 hours in the fridge) but also, he freezes the eclairs (for 20 minutes) before baking .
YOUR and DOM's eclears turned out perfectly.
Thanks a lot for all yout tips and tricks !!!

[rogerthat]

You have no idea how great this is! I have been promising my awesome mom eclairs for a week now and decided I'd make them today when all of a sudden this video came on my feed. Thank you for sharing your skills and dedication to food perfection with us, Helen. Off to make eclairs with my newfound tips and tricks.

[rpireland]

Thank you for sorting the éclair problem. Blessings

[reddfoxx]

There was a television chef here in the UK, famous between the 50s-70s, named Fanny Cradock. She was a huge proponent of French cuisine and during one Christmas series (available on YouTube) she showed how to make eclairs and cream buns. She said, in 1975, that it was vital to let the choux paste go absolutely cold before being piped to ensure the best rise and properly baked eclairs. Hers don’t look as nice as yours but clearly she was on to something even back then. I really enjoy your videos, very inspirational to a novice like me.

[largoembargo]

I rarely bake and haven't baked in at least 7 years. Today I thought I try the recipe. The eclairs turned out great, I could fill all of them, none split. I would say that speaks for the quality of the recipe and the instructions. Many thanks, worked like a charm!

[amgrob]

For what it's worth, I've been trying choux paste recipes, passively, for years and they've all yielded inconsistent results, save for one. The ratio for choux pastry, given in Michael Ruhlman's book "Ratio" has worked every time that I've used it. 2 pt liquid: 1 pt butter: 1 pt flour: 2 pt egg. Worked the first time that I used it, with much less knowledge than I have now, works whenever I use it thereafter. The only time that I've failed is when I've tried to complicate it with different "tips and tricks."

[soundfable]

I love that you show your entire thought process behind each step. I'm good at following instructions, but even still it gives me confidence to know the reasoning. Plus, it's just plain entertaining! Love your channel & best wishes!

[gilamonsta]

WOW! I am going to be cool again in the eyes of my kids, thank you Miss Helen and La Pate de Dom!!!

[Isthie]

I literally just watched your previous choux pastry videos for my own eclairs, and now, just before I start, you drop a masterclass! Thank you!

[wapdiff]

Hey Helen, thank you for improving upon this series! It’s been extremely helpful for me. If you ever consider doing a 4.0, you should demystify different glazes for eclairs. Working with poured fondant baffles me! I can make it, but using it is another story. I don’t know how to flavour it, and it always overheats before I can melt it completely and it stays very thick.

[franckmilo]

C'est la précision, les nombreux petits détails qui à la fin font la différence. On mange d'abord avec les yeux, c'est vrai, mais c'est surtout fait pour manger ! pas pour envoyer au musée... Bravo pour toutes ces belles recettes et aussi pour l'évolution apportée.

It is the precision, the many small details that at the end make the difference. We eat first with the eyes, it's true, but it's mostly made to eat! not to send to the museum ... Bravo for all these great recipes and also for the development.

[brookswoelfel]

Helen, your recipes are top notch and your wittiness, perfect explanations, and positive vibes make your videos so enjoyable.

[halifax]

Omg, I wish I had found this video right after your first eclair videos, a day apart and 2 batches later, I have a batch that looks passable but tastes good, and another batch that looks IG ready and taste better. Resting dough for 1.5hrs, spraying with oil and 2 dusting of powder sugar gave me the best ones - thank you for the work you put in - chef kiss

[MarinaSimp]

You must be a professor in your non-virtual life? :) Wonderful detailed explanations of reasons and outcomes - EXACTLY what I need!!! THANK YOU!!!

[ADHDpancakesurprise]

I just made eclairs (and choux and pastry cream) for the first time. They were delicious but I had a lot of cracks and holes in my shells. I wasn't sure why but now I know. Thank you!

Oh! I also learned if you fill them from the top the ganache will cover the holes and your cream won't squirt out when you bite into it.