History

The éclair entered Parisian pâtisseries in the 1860s; the name (lightning) refers to the speed with which it is eaten. The choux-and-fondant form is often traced to Antonin Carême's early-19th-century pastry workshop. Stohrer (founded 1730, the city's oldest pâtisserie) and the postwar Parisian houses canonised the format. The contemporary éclair revival came via Christophe Adam's L'Éclair de Génie opening in 2012, which sparked a city-wide flavour-of-the-month treatment; Cédric Grolet at Opéra plates a chocolate éclair stripped back to two ingredients. Des Gâteaux et du Pain (Claire Damon) runs a refined classic.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 12Hands-on 1 hrTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the choux: 125ml water
  • 125ml whole milk
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 5g salt
  • 5g caster sugar
  • 150g plain flour (sifted)
  • 4 large eggs
  • For the chocolate crème pâtissière: 500ml whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod (split)
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 40g cornflour
  • 150g dark chocolate (70%, finely chopped)
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • For the chocolate fondant: 200g icing sugar, 30g cocoa powder, 20g glucose syrup, 60ml warm water

Method

  1. Make the crème pâtissière first: bring milk and split vanilla pod to a bare simmer. Take off the heat; infuse 10 minutes; remove the pod.
  2. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornflour to a pale paste. Pour the warm vanilla milk over the yolks, whisking constantly.
  3. Return the mixture to the saucepan; cook over medium heat, whisking, for 3 to 4 minutes until thick and bubbling. Take off the heat. Whisk in the chopped chocolate and butter until glossy and smooth.
  4. Press cling film directly onto the surface and chill at least 2 hours.
  5. Make the choux: heat oven to 200°C; line two baking sheets with parchment.
  6. Bring water, milk, butter, salt and sugar to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan. Tip in the sifted flour all at once; stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth ball forms and leaves a film on the bottom of the pan, 2 minutes.
  7. Transfer the dough to a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Beat for 1 minute to cool. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. The batter should be glossy and form a slow-falling ribbon.
  8. Pipe 12cm logs onto the lined sheets using a star nozzle (the ridges help the éclairs rise straight). Space well apart.
  9. Bake at 200°C for 10 minutes, then drop to 180°C for another 20 minutes. Do not open the oven for the first 25 minutes or the choux collapses.
  10. Cool the choux shells completely on a rack. Make three small holes in the underside with a chopstick.
  11. Transfer the chilled crème pâtissière to a piping bag with a small plain nozzle. Pipe into each éclair through the three holes until heavy and full.
  12. Make the fondant: whisk icing sugar, cocoa, glucose and warm water to a thick glossy glaze. The glaze should coat the back of a spoon.
  13. Dip the top of each filled éclair into the warm fondant; let any excess drip off. Set on a rack.
  14. Chill 30 minutes to set the fondant. Eat the same day.

Tip from the editors. Bake the choux long enough to dry inside or they collapse cool. Fondant is right when it coats but does not flood; thin with warm water if it sets too fast.

Where to eat éclair au chocolat

Éclair au chocolat in Paris

Stohrer ★ 4.4

Bakery€Daily 07:30-20:30Walk-in onlyHistoric patisserie

Stohrer in Paris is the city's oldest patisserie, founded in 1730 by Nicolas Stohrer who served Marie Leszczyńska at Versailles. Open daily 07:30-20:30.

Tip: The original puits d'amour and the baba travel well. The whipped-cream cake is best in shop.

Worth the queue: Baba au rhum

51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris

Cédric Grolet Opéra ★ 4.5

Bakery€Mon-Sun 12:00-18:00Walk-in onlySculpted pastry

Cédric Grolet Opéra in Paris is the chef's lemon-fruit-and-flowers museum: every cake a sculpted trompe-l'œil fruit, priced at €18 to €25 a piece.

Tip: Queue starts at 11:30 for the 12:00 opening; book online to skip it for the citron tart.

Worth the queue: Trompe-l'œil fruit

35 Avenue de l'Opéra, 75002 Paris

Des Gâteaux et du Pain ★ 4.6

Bakery€Tue-Sun 10:00-19:30Walk-in onlyPastry

Claire Damon's Des Gâteaux et du Pain in Paris's 15e is the pastry-architect shop where every tart is signed off as a numbered edition, on display.

Tip: Closed Monday. The Mont-Blanc is autumn-only; the strawberry tart anchors the summer carte.

Worth the queue: Le Mont-Blanc

63 Boulevard Pasteur, 75015 Paris

Boulangerie Pâtisserie l'Équilibre ★ 4.4

Bakery€Tue-Fri 07:15-20:00, Sat 07:30-19:00, closed Sun-MonWalk-in onlySourdough breads and palace-trained viennoiserie

Boulangerie Pâtisserie l'Équilibre in Paris's 15e occupies an 1889 Monument Historique storefront on rue Blomet. At 108 Rue Blomet. Booking recommended.

Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The Pain Suisse with its puff-pastry layers is the room's signature, baked through the morning.

Worth the queue: Pain Suisse

108 Rue Blomet, 75015 Paris

Liberté Pâtisserie Boulangerie ★ 4.3

Bakery€Daily 07:00-20:00Walk-in onlyModern French pastry

Liberté Pâtisserie Boulangerie in Paris's 10e is Benoît Castel's open-kitchen counter where the bakery floor doubles as the eat-in dining room from 09:00.

Tip: The Paris-Brest individual size is €6; the cake-by-the-slice in the back room runs half that price.

Worth the queue: Paris-Brest

39 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris

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