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Heart-Shaped Chocolate Éclairs
Heart-Shaped Chocolate Éclairs
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Prep Time:
5 minutes
Cook Time:
40 minutes
Total Time:
250 minutes
Heart-shaped pastries filled with vanilla cream and topped with ganache, ideal for Valentine's Day or any occasion.
Ingredients:
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.75 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 0.5 cup fresh raspberries, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, or to taste
Instructions:
  • For the pastry cream, split the vanilla bean in half, scrape out all the seeds using a knife, and set aside the pods for other recipes.
  • In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla seeds until perfectly blended.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the pan's bottom until thickened, approximately 10 minutes.
  • After removing from heat, whisk to let steam escape. Stir in butter until melted. Strain through a fine sieve to remove any vanilla pod fibers. Cover the pastry cream with a layer of plastic wrap directly touching the surface and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours until well chilled.
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and prepare a baking sheet with a silicone liner like Silpat®.
  • In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, water, and salt for the pate choux until it simmers. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon to form a buttery dough. Cook and stir until a starchy film forms at the pan's bottom. Turn off the heat and stir for an additional minute.
  • In a bowl, combine one egg with a portion of the dough until well mixed. Add the rest of the dough and repeat with the second egg, stirring until a sticky dough forms. Use a spatula to scrape off any remaining mixture from the whisk.
  • Place the dough into a pastry bag with a ½-inch opening and pipe two 6-inch heart shapes onto the baking sheet. Initially create thin shapes and add more dough to thicken them. Use water-dipped fingers to perfect the hearts if needed.
  • Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 30 minutes until beautifully browned. After baking, turn off the heat, leave the pastries in the oven, and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Let sit for 1 hour until crispy and dried out.
  • Slice the hearts in half horizontally using a serrated knife.
  • Take the chilled pastry cream out of the refrigerator and transfer it to a pastry bag. Fill each heart generously with the cream, before topping them with the other halves.
  • Simmer cream in a saucepan until hot and bubbly.
  • In a small bowl, add chocolate chips and pour hot cream over them. Allow to sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is lusciously thick and shiny. Cool for approximately 5 minutes before using.
  • Drizzle the luscious ganache over each heart and save the extra for later. Chill the éclairs until the ganache sets, around 15 minutes.
  • Present the éclairs on serving plates. Fill the center of each heart with succulent raspberries and dust with cocoa powder. Sprinkle powdered sugar delicately over the raspberries and serve promptly. (Each éclair serves two.)

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