“Éclair” translated from French means “lightning.” There are those that believe the pastry gained this name because of the way that it glistens when coated. It’s also possible that it gained this name due to its’ popularity. “It is so good, it’s eaten in a flash!”
It’s not known exactly how the pastry came into being. Many historians believe that the pastry was invented by the famous French chef Antoine Careme, where it was referred to as “pain à la duchesse.” The recipe for eclairs was first published in 1884 in the Boston Cooking School Cook Book.
Eclairs benefit from the use of choux pastry, which uses steam instead of chemical leaveners like baking powder and yeast. This sets the éclair apart from other doughnuts which are made from doughnut pastry and use a different type of leavener.
Today there are several different varieties of eclairs. Chocolate and vanilla are the two most popular flavors, although rum, raspberry, nut, coffee, maple, and banana creme have also been used. There are even savory variants of the recipe. However, the recipe has not changed much since its’ inception 150+ years ago It is such a loved pastry that the United States has declared June 22nd as National Day of the Chocolate Éclair.
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