Éclair
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the camera company, please see Eclair (camera). For the Kiddy Grade character, see Éclair (Kiddy Grade).
An éclair is a delicate pastry made with choux paste (cream puff pastry dough). The dough is piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked until it is crisp and hollow inside. The pastry is traditionally filled with a vanilla pastry cream (crème pâtissière), custard or whipped cream, and usually topped with chocolate icing. Other fillings include coffee- and rum-flavored custard, fruit-flavored fillings, or chestnut purée.
In parts of the United States, éclairs are known as long johns. They may also be known as maple bars, depending on the flavors.
[edit] Origin of the éclair
Little is known about the origin of the éclair, but it is known to have originated in France around the turn of the nineteenth century. Many food historians speculate that éclairs were first made by Marie-Antoine Carême, a famous pastry chef for French royalty.
The Oxford English Dictionary traces the term "eclair" in the English language to 1861. The first known recipe for éclairs appears in the Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Mrs. D.A. Lincoln, published in 1884.
"Éclair" is the French word for lightning. It is believed that the pastry received its name because it glistens when coated with confectioner's glaze.
