The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (353 page)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

In the pastry case, éclairs look tempting, but all too often they are just soggy shells of pastry filled with a starchy pastry cream and topped with a tasteless, waxy glaze. We set out to make éclairs with delicately crisp pastry, a silky-smooth pastry cream, and a glaze that actually tastes of bittersweet chocolate. We started with the test kitchen’s recipe for cream puff paste and piped the dough onto a baking sheet. After baking the pastries, we cut a small slit into the side of each one to release steam and then returned them to the turned-off oven to dry until the centers were moist (but not wet) and the surface was crisp. One of the trickiest parts of making éclairs is filling them with pastry cream without mangling the shell. Cutting the éclairs in half horizontally looked sloppy and pastry cream leaked out the sides. Trying to poke a hole at one end and fashioning a path through the pastry was difficult. Instead, we found that cutting three small holes across the top of each baked and cooled éclair was the way to go. We then piped pastry cream into each opening for even distribution. And the chocolate glaze, made with melted semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, half-and-half, and confectioners’ sugar, covered the telltale holes.

MAKES 8 ÉCLAIRS

Be sure the pastry cream is thoroughly chilled before filling the pastries. The chocolate glaze should still be warm when glazing the éclairs.

FILLING AND GLAZE

1. FOR THE PASTRY:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with vegetable oil spray and line with parchment paper.

2.
Fit pastry bag with ¹⁄
₂
-inch plain tip and fill with warm pâte à choux. Pipe pâte à choux into eight 5 by 1-inch logs, spaced about 1 inch apart. Use back of teaspoon dipped in cold water to even out shape and smooth surface of logs.

3.
Bake pastries for 15 minutes (do not open oven door), then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until golden brown and fairly firm (pastries should not be soft and squishy), 8 to 10 minutes longer.

4.
Remove baking sheet from oven and cut ³⁄
₄
-inch slit into side of each pastry with small knife to release steam. Return pastries to oven, turn off oven, and prop oven door open with handle of wooden spoon. Dry pastries in turned-off oven until center is just moist (not wet) and surface is crisp, about 45 minutes. Transfer pastries to wire rack to cool. (Cooled pastries can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours or frozen in zipper-lock bag for up to 1 month. Re-crisp room-temperature pastries in 300-degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or frozen pastries for 8 to 10 minutes.)

5. FOR THE FILLING AND GLAZE:
Use tip of small knife to cut 3 small Xs along top of each pastry. Fit clean pastry bag with ¹⁄
₄
-inch plain tip and fill pastry bag with pastry cream. Pipe pastry cream into pastries through each X until éclairs are completely filled.

6.
Microwave chocolate at 50 percent power for 30 seconds until it melts. Whisk in half-and-half until smooth. Gradually whisk in sugar until smooth. Transfer éclairs to wire rack set over sheet of parchment (for easy cleanup) and spoon warm glaze evenly over tops, being sure to cover holes. Let glaze set, about 20 minutes, before serving. (Filled and glazed éclairs can be stored at room temperature for 4 hours.)

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

You can substitute 1¹⁄
₂
teaspoons vanilla extract for the vanilla bean; stir the extract into the pastry cream with the butter in step 2.

1.
Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds. Bring vanilla bean and seeds, half-and-half, 6 tablespoons sugar, and salt to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

2.
Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar together in medium bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk 1 cup of simmering half-and-half mixture into egg mixture to temper, then slowly whisk tempered egg mixture into remaining half-and-half mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until pastry cream is thickened and few bubbles burst on surface, about 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in butter.

3.
Remove vanilla bean and transfer pastry cream to clean bowl. Lay plastic wrap directly on surface of pastry cream and refrigerate until cold and set, about 3 hours. (Pastry cream can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Whisk ³⁄
₄
teaspoon almond extract into pastry cream with butter.

Add 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee to half-and-half mixture before bringing to simmer.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Profiteroles might just be the most perfect dessert in existence: crisp, tender, and airy pastry encasing cold, creamy ice cream and napped by dark, luxurious chocolate sauce.

Using the test kitchen’s recipe for pâte à choux, we baked the puffs on an uncrowded baking sheet to keep the puffs from collapsing. We slit the puffs immediately after baking to release steam and then returned them to the oven to dry out to ensure crispness. For easiest assembly, we scooped the ice cream onto a chilled baking sheet, then split the puffs and filled them all at once. We made a quick bittersweet chocolate sauce with heavy cream, corn syrup, and butter to drizzle over the ice cream–filled pastries.

See “PIPING PROFITEROLES” illustrations that follow recipe.

SERVES 6

A serving of profiteroles consists of three baked puffs filled with ice cream and topped with sauce. The Pâte à Choux recipe makes 24 puffs, technically enough to serve eight, but inevitably a few bake up too awkwardly shaped to serve to guests. For profiteroles, the smooth, dense texture and rich flavor of a high-quality custard-style ice cream is preferable to the light, fluffy texture and milky flavor of Philadelphia-style ice cream, which is made without eggs. If you’re serving several guests, prescooping the ice cream makes serving quick and neat, but if you’re assembling only a couple servings or your freezer lacks space, you can skip the prescooping step.

FILLING AND GLAZE

1. FOR THE PASTRY:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray baking sheet with vegetable oil spray and line with parchment paper.

2.
Fit pastry bag with ¹⁄
₂
-inch plain tip and fill with warm pâte à choux. Pipe pâte à choux into 1¹⁄
₂
-inch mounds on prepared sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart (you should have about 24 mounds). Use back of teaspoon dipped in cold water to even out shape and smooth surface of mounds.

3.
Bake pastries for 15 minutes (do not open oven door), then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until golden brown and fairly firm (pastries should not be soft and squishy), 8 to 10 minutes longer.

4.
Remove baking sheet from oven and cut ³⁄
₄
-inch slit into side of each pastry with paring knife to release steam. Return pastries to oven, turn off oven, and prop oven door open with handle of wooden spoon. Dry pastries in turned-off oven until center is just moist (not wet) and surface is crisp, about 45 minutes. Transfer pastries to wire rack to cool. (Cooled pastries can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours or frozen in zipper-lock bag for up to 1 month. Re-crisp room-temperature puffs in 300-degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or frozen puffs for 8 to 10 minutes.)

5. FOR THE FILLING AND GLAZE:
Line clean baking sheet with parchment and freeze until cold, about 20 minutes. Place 2-inch scoops of ice cream onto chilled baking sheet and freeze until firm, then cover with plastic wrap; keep frozen until ready to serve.

6.
Bring heavy cream, corn syrup, butter, and salt to boil in small saucepan. Off heat, stir in chocolate. Cover saucepan and let stand until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk gently until combined. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)

7.
To serve, use paring knife to split open 18 pastries about ³⁄
₈
inch from bottom; set 3 bottoms on each dessert plate. Place scoop of ice cream on each bottom and gently press tops into ice cream. Pour sauce over profiteroles and serve immediately.