Cinnamon Eclairs with Pumpkin Cream

Spiced eclairs filled with pumpkin cream and dipped in dark chocolate.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Chill Time 1

Total Time 2 5

Servings large eclairs

Calories 293

Author Annalise Sandberg

Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the whole milk, water, butter, salt, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the flour, stirring to combine. Return the pan to the heat and continue to stir. Cook until the dough leaves a film on the bottom of the pan.
Put dough in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on low until cooled to 280°F, or until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition and scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add enough eggs to make the dough come away from the sides of the bowl in ribbons (but the dough will not clear the bowl), and the dough looks shiny but not too wet. Use immediately, piping onto the prepared baking sheet with a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F for another 10 minutes (do not open the oven during this time). Then bake for an additional 15 minutes, reducing the heat every few minutes until it reaches 200°F. The higher temperatures cause the dough to puff, the lower temperatures dries it out and finishes the baking. After 35 minutes, cut into one eclair. If the inside is still moist, return it to the oven for a few additional minutes.

Combine ¾ cup milk, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat it until bubbles begin appearing around the edges, but do not let it come to a boil.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining ¼ cup milk and cornstarch. Whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch mixture. When the milk and sugar are heated, add it in a steady stream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Return to the saucepan and turn heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened. Add the butter and vanilla extract.
Spoon into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, placing the plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill completely.
Whip the whipping cream until stiff. Fold the pumpkin puree into the chilled pastry cream, then fold in the whipping cream. Chill until ready to assemble the eclairs.

Combine the butter, milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon together in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture is combined. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted. Add the sugar and stir until smooth.

Poke a hole in the side of each eclair with the tip of a squeeze bottle, the tip of a pastry bag tip, or with another sharp tool, such as a skewer. Pipe the pumpkin cream into the eclairs with either a pastry bag fitted with a small tip or a squeeze bottle.
Dip the tops of each eclair into the warm chocolate glaze and put on a wire rack. Let set for a few minutes, then sprinkle with pecans, if using. Let set completely, about 15 minutes.
The eclairs are best served within a few hours of filling, as the pumpkin cream will make the pastry soggy.