what is an eclair

An eclair is a French pastry made from choux pastry, filled with pastry cream or custard, and topped with fondant icing. The dough used for eclairs is the same as that used for profiteroles, and it is typically piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked until it is crisp and hollow inside. Once cool, the pastry is filled with custard, whipped cream, or chiboust cream, then iced with fondant icing. The most popular eclair is probably the chocolate eclair, which is topped with chocolate fondant and filled with chocolate custard or pastry cream. The word "eclair" means "flash of lightning" in French, and it is believed that it is named after the act of eating it quickly or due to the glistening of the frosting resembling lightning. The origin of eclairs can be traced back to the mid-18th century when it was called "pain à la Duchesse" or "petite duchesse" until 1850. The eclair is making a resurgence in popularity and can now be seen filled with trendy fillings such as matcha tea or mocha cream filling.