Can eclairs be made in advance and frozen? If so, would pastry cream or whipped cream filling work better?

My daughter is making eclairs for a school project so filling them right before serving isn't feasible. I am hoping they could be made over the weekend and frozen. Thanks for any advice!

tlc
  • Posted by: tlc
  • January 31, 2012
  • 41943 views
  • 5 Comments

5 Comments

tlc
tlc January 31, 2012
Thank you, since it's a group project it isn't feasible for the eclairs to be filled in the morning.
I was also thinking that the class wouldn't be too picky. Of course, if I was making them for company I would fill them before serving.
 
tlc
tlc January 31, 2012
Yes, we would like to fill the shells and then freeze. Thanks for your responses.
 
MaryMaryCulinary
MaryMaryCulinary January 31, 2012
I have had commercial eclairs that were filled, glazed and frozen, but only once. They were mushy when defrosted and pastry really should be crisp. Your daughter may need to get up early to fill the pre-baked shells the morning of for best results. Then again, the kids I teach would eat anything...
 
Rachel S.
Rachel S. January 31, 2012
Do you mean making the shells AND filling them before freezing? I believe you can, though like Mr Vittles says, they may be slightly mushy. If you're determined to fill them before you freeze them, I would use pastry cream. I think it would stand up to freezing and defrosting much better than whipped cream alone.
 
Mr_Vittles
Mr_Vittles January 31, 2012
Yes, it is possible to freeze eclair pastries before you fill them. Make sure to defrost in a oven and allow to cool again. I agree to not fill them first since the time to defrost will most likely render the pastry mushy. As for the cream decision, it is personal preference. Traditionally, it would be pastry creme, but whipped vanilla creme works great too. Maybe try both.
 
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