dessert
Classic Eclairs with Walnut Cream
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Prep
30 minutes
Cook
35 minutes
Total
1 hr 5 min
Serves
12–15 eclairs
Hollow, crisp-shelled, and filled with a dense walnut cream, these eclairs are a step above the café version. The shells are light on their own, the condensed milk walnut filling is what makes them rich.
Ingredients
- [Choux pastry]
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 4 tbsp (60 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- [Walnut cream]
- 200–250 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 can (400 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (100 g) finely ground walnuts
Instructions
- 1Bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and dump in the flour all at once. Stir hard until a cohesive dough ball forms.
- 2Return to medium heat and stir for 1–2 minutes to dry out the paste. Remove from heat and let cool until warm to the touch, not hot.
- 3Beat in the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly after each. The paste is ready when it's smooth, glossy, and falls slowly from a spoon.
- 4Pipe or spoon small rounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 200 °C (400 °F) for 10–15 minutes, do not open the oven door. Lower to 160 °C (320 °F) and dry for another 15–20 minutes.
- 5For the cream: Beat the softened butter with the condensed milk until fluffy, then fold in the ground walnuts. Pipe into cooled shells.
Cook's Note
Let the dough paste cool until you can hold your hand against the pot without pulling back, then add the eggs. If the paste is still hot, the eggs start to cook on contact and the shells won't puff. Don't open the oven in the first 10 minutes either; the steam inside is what hollows them out.
Best Served With
A light dusting of powdered sugar. Good with black coffee or a glass of tea alongside.
Why This Recipe Works
Cooking the flour in boiling water before adding eggs changes how the starch behaves, it absorbs moisture and gets sticky, which traps steam inside as the shells bake. The steam has nowhere to go except up and out, which pushes the center hollow. The eggs add structure so the shell holds its shape.
Make It Yours
- Swap ground walnuts for toasted hazelnuts or finely chopped pistachios.
- Add a splash of vanilla to the cream.
- Dip the tops in dark chocolate instead of powdered sugar.
Leftover Strategy
Unfilled shells keep at room temperature for 2 days in an open paper bag. Once filled, refrigerate and eat within a day before the shell softens.
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Pairing
Black coffee or espresso, the bitterness balances the sweet cream well. A glass of Moscato d'Asti works for a sweeter pairing.