Eclair is the French word for lightning. It is believed that the pastry received its name because it glistens when coated with confectioner's glaze.
Little is known about the origin of the eclair, but it is known to have originated in France around the turn of the nineteenth century. Many food historians speculate that eclairs were first made by Marie-Antoine Carême, a famous pastry chef for French royalty.
Oxford English Dictionarytraces the term "eclair" in the English language to 1861. The first known recipe for eclairs appears in the Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Mrs. D.A. Lincoln, published in 1884.
June 22nd is celebrated as Chocolate Eclair day, origins are not known at this time.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89clair
Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses are famous for their chocolate eclairs. Most eclairs are unfortunately cut in half and piped with fresh cream or custard. This results in the cream losing moisture and developing a hard 'crust' over the period of a day. At Ferguson Plarre we use a high quality choux pastry and leave the hollow shell entirely intact by injecting every eclair with freshly whipped cream. This results in the cream staying as fresh as possible and ensures it won't dry out. You be the judge...try one of our trademark Chocolate Eclairs today!