Orange Cream Chocolate Eclairs
Orange Cream Chocolate Eclairs: These beautiful oblong pastries are filled with an orange cream and topped with a drizzle of dark chocolate. One of my favorite flavor combos. Let me show you how easy it is to make your own (pate a choux) French pastry. The perfect addition to any luncheon or brunch.
Choux Pastry
- Choux has a reputation of being difficult, but in reality the pastry is no more difficult then making cupcakes. This amazing French pastry is surprisingly simple.
- THE MANY USES FOR CHOUX PASTRY
- Pipe logs (as in this recipe), fill with pastry cream for eclairs
- Pipe dollops and sandwich with whipped cream for cream puffs or profiteroles
- Add cheese and herbs to the dough to make Gougeres
- Deep fry the dough for churros, French cruller donuts and choux beignets
- Endless options when one dough (Choux Pastry) is mastered!
How to Make Choux Dough
- Most batters call for adding a cold liquid, but Choux start with a cooking step: the liquid is brought to a boil with butter and flour mixed in, then the doughy paste is cooked on the stovetop. Once the mixture has slightly cooled the eggs are beaten in. This makes choux a twice cooked dough. (Scroll down for the printable recipe)
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Place water and butter in a sauce pan and heat until the butter is melted and boiling.
- When boiling add the flour all at once, stir rapidly until mix ceases to stick to side of pan; transfer to a mixing bowl; mix until cooled.; add unbeaten eggs one at a time beating well after each egg until the mix is smooth.
- Use plain size 6 round pipping tip, fill a pipping bag and pipe into a 3½ to 4-inch oblong shape.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool completely.
- Slice in half lengthwise, fill with orange cream filling, add a drizzle of the ganache.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
HOW TO FREEZE ECLAIRS WITH OR WITHOUT FILLING
- Place filled or unfilled eclairs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Place in the freezer until frozen (about 1 hour)
- Place frozen eclairs in freezer safe containers up to 3 months
- NOTE: If using a bag, make sure to squeeze all the air out
ALMOND PASTRY CREAM FILLING—ALTERNATIVE ECLAIR FILLING
- INGREDIENTS —BONUS RECIPE—
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups half and half
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- DIRECTIONS
- In a medium saucepan stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt
- Gradually stir in half and half.
- Cook and stir on medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
- Cook and stir an additional 1 minute.
- Gradually stir in half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks.
- Return egg yolk mixture to the saucepan.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes constantly stirring.
- Remove from heat; strain pastry cream into a bowl and stir in almond extract..
- Cover with plastic wrap, chill about 4 hours or until cold DO NOT STIR.
MORE CREAMY OR CREAM FILLED DESSERT RECIPES
Orange Cream Chocolate Eclairs
Yield:
Makes 34 Eclairs
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Total Time:
45 minutes
EASY TO MAKE.....These beautiful oblong pastries are filled with an orange cream and topped with a drizzle of dark chocolate.
Ingredients
For the Éclair Dough:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 8 large eggs
For the Orange Cream Filling:
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 ½ teaspoons orange extract
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
For the Ganache Drizzle:
- 1 1/3 cups semi sweet chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
For the Eclair Dough:
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Place water and butter in a sauce pan and heat until the butter is melted and boiling.
- When boiling add the flour all at once, stir rapidly until mix ceases to stick to side of pan; transfer to a mixing bowl; mix until cooled.; add unbeaten eggs one at a time beating well after each egg until the mix is smooth.
- Use plain size 6 round pipping tip, fill a pipping bag and pipe into a 3½ to 4-inch oblong shape.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool completely.
- Slice in half lengthwise, fill with orange cream filling, add a drizzle of the ganache.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
For the Orange Cream Filling:
- In a mixing bowl add the cream cheese; beat until creamy.
- Add the sugar, orange zest and orange extract; beat until combined.
- Pour heavy cream into the cream cheese batter and mix until combined.
For the Ganache Drizzle:
- Place chocolate and cream in a medium microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave 1 minute and 30 seconds.
- Stir until the chocolate is melted, creamy and shiny.
- Pour into a squeeze bottle, zip top bag with one corner snipped or use a fork and drizzle over filled eclairs.
Notes
HOW TO FREEZE ECLAIRS WITH OR WITHOUT FILLING
- Place filled or unfilled eclairs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Place in the freezer until frozen (about 1 hour)
- Place frozen eclairs in freezer safe containers up to 3 months
NOTE: If using a bag, make sure to squeeze all the air out
ALMOND PASTRY CREAM FILLING:
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups half and half
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
DIRECTIONS
- In a medium saucepan stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt
- Gradually stir in half and half.
- Cook and stir on medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
- Cook and stir an additional 1 minute.
- Gradually stir in half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks.
- Return egg yolk mixture to the saucepan.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes constantly stirring.
- Remove from heat; strain pastry cream into a bowl and stir in almond extract..
- Cover with plastic wrap, chill about 4 hours or until cold DO NOT STIR.
NEVER MISS A POST
Chocolate and orange cream is also one of my favorite flavor combos. I never thought making eclairs is easy. Thanks for the recipe.
It’s one of my favorite flavor combos too Joshua!
I like the drizzle effect. Ordinarily I dip my eclairs in but as they’re far from perfect they just end up being a bit scruffier.
Can you freeze?
Hi Winnie, Yes the eclairs can be frozen. I would hold off on adding the chocolate drizzle until the day you want to serve them.
How long can I refrigerate the dough before baking it for? Will it keep for a week?
Hi Jeanette, Pate a Choux (eclair dough) can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days and frozen up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight. BUT….if you shape the dough (piped) before freezing you can bake the dough straight from the freezer.