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Silver Chocolate Korean Éclairs with Hearty Fermented Ganache

Easy éclairs filled with tangy fermented chocolate cream and decorated with silver for a festive, wintery touch.

Total: 3 hours 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 10
Korean éclairs winter chocolate holiday beginner fermentation beginner-friendly

What Makes This Special

These Silver Chocolate Korean Éclairs combine a soft, crisp pâte à choux shell with a tangy, fermented chocolate ganache inspired by Korean winter flavors. The natural fermentation adds complexity and a yogurt-like brightness to the filling—an easy, approachable way to embrace this trendy technique at home. Finished with an elegant silver shimmer, they’re hearty, festive, and perfect for winter holidays!

Ingredients

This recipe uses staple ingredients with a seasonal twist. Fermenting the chocolate cream with yogurt introduces a subtle tang, reminiscent of Korean desserts, and makes the ganache more digestible and complex. Edible silver dust gives the éclairs a holiday sparkle.

For the Pâte à Choux (Éclair Shells)

  • Water & Butter: Ensure steam for puff and richness.
  • Flour: Gives structure when cooked and baked.
  • Eggs: Provide moisture and ensure rise.
  • Salt: Balances flavors.

For the Fermented Chocolate Ganache

  • Dark Chocolate: Deep, hearty flavor for winter.
  • Cream & Yogurt: Cream gives body; yogurt starts fermentation, adding tang and lightness.
  • Sugar: Balances bitterness and fermentation acidity.

For Decoration

  • White Chocolate & Edible Silver: For a shimmering, wintry finish.

Instructions

Step 1: Start the Fermented Chocolate Ganache (at least 2 hours ahead)

  1. In a heatproof bowl, combine chopped dark chocolate and sugar.
  2. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until just steaming (do not boil), then pour over chocolate and sugar.
  3. Let sit 1 minute, then whisk smooth.
  4. When the mixture cools to 40°C (warm but not hot), whisk in Greek yogurt.
  5. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature (18–22°C) for 2 hours. The yogurt will ferment the ganache, introducing a tangy, creamy depth.
  6. After fermenting, refrigerate until thickened (about 30 min) while you make the shells.

Fermentation note: If your kitchen is colder, ferment for up to 3 hours. The mix should taste lightly tangy, not sour.

Step 2: Make the Pâte à Choux (Éclair Shells)

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (fan off). Line a baking tray with parchment.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil.
  3. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon over medium heat. Cook until dough forms a ball and a thin film forms on the pan’s bottom (2–3 min).
  4. Transfer dough to a mixing bowl. Cool 5 min (so eggs don’t scramble).
  5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each. Dough should be glossy and fall in a thick ribbon.
  6. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm round tip. Pipe 10 logs, each about 10 cm long, onto the tray. Leave space to expand.
  7. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and puffed. Do not open the oven while baking!
  8. Turn off the oven, crack oven door, and let éclairs sit 10 min to avoid collapse.
  9. Cool completely on a rack.

Step 3: Fill the Éclairs

  1. Use a skewer or small knife to poke a small hole in each shell’s end.
  2. Whisk chilled fermented chocolate ganache until creamy.
  3. Using a clean piping bag, pipe the ganache into each éclair until filled but not bursting.

Step 4: Decorate for the Holidays

  1. Drizzle each éclair with melted white chocolate using a fork or piping bag.
  2. Before the white chocolate sets, dust with edible silver using a sifter or lightly press on silver leaf.
  3. Optionally, sprinkle silver pearls for extra sparkle.

Pro Tips

  • Fermentation Control: Taste the ganache at 2 hours—stop fermenting once you detect a pleasant tang. Too long, and it may become overly sour.
  • Piping Practice: For even éclairs, use a pencil to draw lines on the parchment, then flip it over before piping.
  • Oven Discipline: Never open the oven during baking; steam is essential for puff!

Troubleshooting

Shells collapsed? This usually means underbaking. Make sure the shells are deeply golden and let them dry out in the turned-off oven before cooling.

Filling is runny? The ganache may not have cooled enough. Chill longer until thick; if still too loose, whip gently with a whisk until spreadable.

Variations

  • Matcha White Chocolate Filling: Replace dark chocolate with white chocolate and add 1 tsp matcha powder for a green winter twist.
  • Mocha Fermented Ganache: Add 1 tbsp instant espresso powder to the cream before pouring over chocolate for a coffee boost.
  • Nutty Crunch Topping: Sprinkle chopped toasted pecans or walnuts on top of the white chocolate before adding silver for a heartier bite.

Storage

Store filled éclairs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Best texture is within 12 hours as shells will gradually soften. Unfilled, cooled shells can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw and crisp in a 160°C oven for 5 min before filling.

Enjoy sharing these festive Korean-inspired éclairs—each bite combines wintery heartiness, chocolate warmth, and the brightness of fermentation, all in an elegant silver package perfect for the holiday season!