Valentines Day Strawberry Éclairs (Printable Version)

Airy éclairs with strawberry cream filling and pink glaze, ideal for special celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Choux Pastry

01 - 1/2 cup water
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
04 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs

→ Strawberry Cream Filling

08 - 1 cup heavy cream, cold
09 - 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, cold
10 - 1/3 cup powdered sugar
11 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and finely diced

→ Strawberry Glaze

13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2 to 3 tablespoons strawberry purée
15 - 1 to 2 drops pink or red food coloring, optional

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
03 - Add flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Remove from heat and allow to cool for 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the dough is glossy and pipeable.
05 - Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 10 strips, each approximately 4 inches long, onto the prepared baking sheet.
06 - Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until golden and puffed. Cool completely.
07 - In a large bowl, whip cold cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks. Gently fold in diced strawberries.
08 - Slice each éclair in half lengthwise. Pipe or spoon strawberry cream onto the bottom halves. Replace the tops.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar with strawberry purée and food coloring, if using, until smooth and spreadable.
10 - Spread glaze on top of each éclair. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look restaurant-worthy but the actual technique is more forgiving than you'd think, especially when you know the shortcuts.
  • Light, crispy shells that somehow stay delicate even when filled, unlike those heavy pastries that sit in your stomach.
  • The strawberry-mascarpone filling is genuinely creamy without tasting overly sweet or artificial, which matters when you're putting effort into this.
02 -
  • The dough will look wrong before the eggs are fully incorporated—lumpy, separated, almost broken—but keep beating and it will come together into something glossy and perfect.
  • Humidity matters more than you'd think with choux pastry; if your kitchen is very damp, the baked shells might not be as crispy, so keep them uncovered while they cool.
  • Filling them right before serving keeps the shells crackling, but these do taste lovely even a few hours later when they've softened slightly.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about piping, practice on a piece of parchment paper first—muscle memory makes the second batch look so much steadier than the first.
  • Add a drop of strawberry extract to the cream filling if you want the berry flavor to sing louder, though fresh strawberries usually carry enough taste on their own.
Return