Chocolate Éclairs

Éclairs and profiteroles are made from choux pastry, an egg-rich dough which is partially cooked in a pan to give it elasticity and which, when baked, puffs up into crisp, hollow shapes that can be filled with sweet fillings, such as creme pâtissière (confectioners’ custard) or, omitting sugar from the dough, savoury mixtures. Eclairs must be baked until dry inside before being filled or they will go soggy.