The Italian and French cuisines have a variety of rich desserts that are liked by everyone around the globe. Having said that, éclair and cannoli are the two most popular desserts that are made in the pastry form. Since both of them are made with rich and smooth fillings, they are confused with each other but the cannoli vs. éclair comparison in this article should help you out!
Cannoli vs Eclair
Cannoli
Cannoli is an Italian pastry that consists of tube-shaped shells, which are made from fried dough (the pastry dough, to be precise). The shells are filled with a creamy and sweet filling that’s usually made from ricotta cheese. Cannoli are important in Sicilian cuisine and are sized ranging from 9cm to 20cm. In addition, they are known as Sicilian cannoli in mainland Italy. It has been around since the year 827 and is now served all around the world.
There are various versions of cannoli available and the Middle Eastern version has a nut-based filling. However, some people also fill them with apricot jam and cream filling. However, the creamy and sweet cheese filling is most commonly used. The cannoli has a crispy and crunchy pastry shell that’s made from whole eggs, flour, butter, and sugar. In addition, it can be spiked with a fortified wine, which enhances the sweetness and flavor of the dessert.
The addition of alcohol tenderizes the pastry’s texture, which leads to a flaky texture. As far as the creamy filling is concerned, it’s spiked with orange zest or lemon zest to add mild brightness, along with ricotta cheese and sugar. However, many people use mascarpone cheese rather than ricotta cheese, and the finished cannoli are dusted with icing sugar. When it comes down to the flavor, it has a smooth, creamy, and rich flavor with mild cheesy notes.
The cannoli’s shells are crispy and slightly sweet but can handle the thick filling. The filling is sometimes flavored with vanilla extract as well. On the contrary, if you want to enhance the flavor of cannoli, you can also use chocolate chips and candied fruits as they add sweetness to the filling. In fact, you can add some chopped pistachios if you don’t mind the nuttiness. Last but not least, it can be filled with melted chocolate as well.
Éclair
Éclair is defined as a pastry that’s made from choux dough that’s filled with cream and has flavored icing topping. The dough is usually piped in the oblong shape and a pastry bag is used to create a specific shape. The dough is baked until it achieves a hollow and crisp form. However, after baking, the shells are cooled down and filled with custard, chiboust cream, or whipped cream. Once filled, the éclair is finished with fondant icing.
In addition to the traditional filling, rim and pistachio-based custard can also be used. However, chestnut puree and fruit-flavored fillings are also added to the shell. When it comes down to the icing, caramel is also a common choice. The éclair made in round shape is known as religieuse. Éclair first appeared in France during the 19th century but it has been around since 1884 as a French chef added this to the cooking book, but now, it’s made with matcha tea and mocha cream filling as well.
The chocolate éclair is the most commonly consumed variety, which is filled with chocolate-flavored pastry cream or custard and is finished with chocolate fondant. In addition, the frozen éclair is also available, which is topped with chocolate syrup and has an ice cream filling. Not to forget, the éclair is also decorated with fruit glazes and fresh fruits.
Choux pastry is the most important ingredient of éclair but can be used to make gougeres, profiteroles, and cream puffs. It rises because of the steam since there is no baking powder, baking soda, or yeast in the dough. As far as the choux pastry is concerned, it’s made from butter, milk, salt, sugar, water, and bread flour. Once the dough is cooled down, the eggs are added and the whole dough is piped on the baking sheet.
The bottom line is that both these desserts are extremely delicious and use fillings to add a burst of flavor to your mouth. However, the texture and flavor are quite different!