How to Make Cream Puffs And Eclairs

A staple in patisseries, Cream Puffs and Eclairs are a crowd favorite. It is great for dessert or for tea time. It has that light dough and a rich filling which fills your mouth with heaven with every bite.

They originated from France and they have been around for more than a century now. The light pastry that makes up this pastry is called pate a choux whose origins can be traced to even the 15th century!

I personally like them both because of the light pastry and when you have the custard filling you can eat a ton of them!

Choux Pastry

Like all pastries, the secret to a good cream puff or eclair is the dough or in this case the Choux Pastry. The dough is primarily made up of butter, water, eggs and flour.

Unlike bread this does not require a rising agent but instead uses steam to make the pastry puff and achieve that delicate consistency.

There are other pastries you can do once you have mastered choux pastry. You can also make churros, beignets, Parisan gnocchi and gougeres among others!

Intimidating

A lot of people are intimidated with these types of pastries. Some folks once they hear or read French on the description they tend to shy away or avoid trying to make it.

There is the impression that it is complex, difficult and a lot of things that may go wrong.

Well all of their fears has basis and there are truths to that but once you have mastered the techniques you can easily do these pastry out of your own kitchen.

Understanding the process and breaking it down is the key. A lot of the cook books, recipe out there does not go into the detail on the process. You may be successful in doing the pastry but may unable to replicate it again or do it at the same consistency.

The Perfect Eclair and Cream Puffs

Good thing Chef James Magos is here to help you out!

Let him help you out on how to achieve the light and fluffy pastry. Make your parties, gatherings or even your merienda stand out with the look and feel of a little luxury with these pastries!

He has broken down the process and explains each step of the way to help novice and even those who already know how to bake to expand their repertoire.

Below is the class outline:

1. Intro 2. Making the Pate de Choux 3. Piping the eclairs 4. Piping the cream puffs 5. Making the custard cream 6. Making the Caramel for cream puff topping 7. Filling the eclairs 8. Filling the cream puffs 9. Making the ganache for eclair topping