Dessert lovers be aware — while we are yet to be tired of French macarons, éclairs are coming to blow us away. Originated by Marie-Antoine Careme, éclairs have been one of the popular French pastries since nineteenth century. Classic French éclairs are elongated crisp pastry shell filled with chocolate or vanilla pastry cream and topped with chocolate ganache. But it’s 2017 and éclairs have so much more to offer.
What’s the hype all about?
Although éclairs have been around for a long time, they are currently popping up in the dessert industry by offering a wider range of flavors and designs. Jennifer Yee, a pastry chef at Lafayette, described her love for éclairs: “I realized that eclairs are just as chameleon-like as macarons, You can inject them with any filling, use any decoration, and really play with flavors. Of course you can do that with many pastries, but not usually in such a neat, compact way.”
We’re not just talking about the traditional chocolate and vanilla éclairs anymore. They are now filled with unique pastry creams ranging from pistachio to mango. Not only that, but also éclairs are one of the most insta-worthy desserts you will ever find. They are designed with a variety of colors and toppings that are almost too beautiful to eat. Key word: almost.
Where To Find The Best Éclairs
Choukette, a recently-opened patisserie in Seattle, has instantly became a go-to spot for éclairs. Using organic and sustainably-grown ingredients, Choukette offers exclusive éclairs with outstanding designs and fun flavors such as mandarin orange, pineapple, and tiramisu. Not to mention, they also put deep consideration when designing their éclairs. Just like their slogan, “art.is.an éclair,” they focus on creating art on choux with artisan ingredients.
Don’t be too sad if you live too far away from Seattle, though — the éclair craze is occurring globally.
What’s Next?
Following the macaron trend, it seems like it is a natural transition for the éclairs to take over the dessert world. I mean, they both look and taste like a dream. So, next time your sweet tooth kicks in, give éclairs a try — trust me, they’re worth it.