Chocolate Éclairs

Ingredients

For the choux pastry

125 ml water

50g butter

60g plain flour

2 eggs, beaten

For the filling

300ml double cream

3 drops vanilla extract

2 tsp caster sugar

For the icing

50g dark chocolate

1tsp butter

2tbsp water

85g icing sugar

Method

For the choux pastry

Preheat the oven to 200C/392°F

Pour water into saucepan and add butter. Place the pan over a medium heat, and as soon as the butter melts, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Add flour in one go and take the pan off the heat.

Stir until the flour has blended in with the liquid and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and makes a ball. Be careful not to overbeat as you do not want the pastry to become heavy.

Start beating in the eggs, a little amount at a time. Beat well, the more air you can incorporate, the lighter the pastry. When you've added both eggs, the pastry should take on a glossy sheen and have a dropping consistency.

Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round nozzle and pipe about onto a lightly oiled and floured éclair pan. Just before baking, sprinkle over a few drops of cold water to helps a good rise in the oven.  

Bake the éclairs for about 20 minutes before turning down the heat to 190°C/374°F for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and pierce each éclair with a trussing needle, so that the steam can escape without making the pastry soggy.

Leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the filling

Whip the cream with the vanilla and sugar, and spoon into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle. Widen the hole made by the trussing needle and insert the piping nozzle. Pipe the cream into the éclairs and place in the fridge.

For the icing

Place the chocolate into a chocolate melting pot and add the butter and water. Place over a saucepan of simmering water to melt. Add the sieved icing sugar, a small amount at a time.  

With a palette knife, smooth the icing over the top of each éclair and leave on one side until set.

Products used

Master Class Non-Stick 12 Hole Éclair Baking Pan

Kitchen Craft Stainless Steel 14cm Extra Deep Saucepan

Kitchen Craft Plastic 15cm Sieve

Master Class Deluxe Stainless Steel Cooking Spoon

Master Class 31cm Aerating Ball Whisk

Sweetly Does It Icing Bag 30cm

Sweetly Does It Medium Round Icing Nozzle

Kitchen Craft Pack of Six 15cm Trussing Needles

Kitchen Craft Chrome Plated Oblong Cake Cooling Tray

Sweetly Does It Stainless Steel Chocolate Melting Pot

Sweetly Does It Palette Knife