Why it works: Butter and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Eclairs
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the choux paste
In a suitable pan, combine water and butter and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat, stir in flour quickly, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Shape and bake
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and shape as desired.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C).
Fill and glaze
Once baked, fill with cream and top with chocolate glaze.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Starch gelatinises during cooking and, with the egg proteins, gives the paste structure to hold its shape.
- Eggs
- Proteins set the walls of the pastry, and steam from their moisture makes the eclairs rise and turn hollow.
- Butter
- Fat adds richness and a tender texture to the baked shell.
The step that matters
Adding the eggs. Beat the eggs in gradually so the paste stays smooth and glossy. Add them until the paste holds its shape and falls slowly from a spoon. Too much egg makes the shells collapse; too little leaves them dense.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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