An éclair ( or ) is a pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with a flavored icing. The dough, which is the same as that used for profiteroles, is typically piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked until it is crisp and hollow inside. Once cool, the pastry is filled with custard (), whipped cream or chiboust cream, then iced with fondant icing.Montagné, Prosper, Larousse gastronomique: the new American edition of the world's greatest culinary encyclopedia, Jenifer Harvey Lang, ed., New York: Crown Publishers, 1988, p. 401 Other fillings include pistachio- and rum-flavored custard, fruit-flavored fillings or chestnut purée. When the icing is caramel, the dessert may be called a (). A similar pastry in a round, rather than oblong, shape is called a religieuse.
Etymology The word comes from the French , meaning 'flash of lightning', so named because it is eaten quickly (in a flash);Éclair , Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 8th edition however some believe that the name is due to the glistening of the frosting resembling lightning.
History The éclair originated during the 19th century in Lyon, France where it was called ('Duchess-style bread') or ('little duchess') until 1850. The word is first attested both in English and in French in the 1860s.Oxford English Dictionary, 1861. Petit Larousse, 1863.
Variants Dunkin' Donuts markets Long John donuts as eclairs in the United States. National Eclair Day is celebrated on June 22 in the U.S.
In Brazil, a dessert resembling a miniature is known as a .
Photo gallery
See also
French cuisine List of choux pastry dishes List of custard desserts List of French desserts
References
Bibliography
External links
A brief éclair history