Chocolate Éclairs w/Vanilla Cream​

Pâte à choux (the puff pastry)
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 6 roughly equal pieces
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups flour
4 large eggs
1 cup water

Instructions to prepare pastry:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1) Bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.

2) Once the butter is fully melted, remove from heat and stir in the flour.

3) Reduce heat to a medium-high level and cook the mixture until it pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 3 minutes.

4) Transfer the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixture and beat on a low speed for about 1 minute.

5) Raise to a medium-level speed and add eggs one at a time until the batter forms soft peaks.

6) Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a wide round tip.

7) Prepare two baking sheets with wax paper and pipe 3 inch long oblongs about 2 inches apart from each other.

8) Bake each sheet at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

9) Cool until you can carefully remove the eclairs from the baking sheet without breaking them.

Now they are ready to be filled!


Vanilla cream
6 egg yolks + 1 egg
3/4 cup + 2 tblsp. sugar
3 tblsp. corn starch
3 tblsp. flour
3 cups milk
3 tblsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste

Instructions:

Prepare an ice bath in a large pot and set aside.

1) In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, egg, 2 tblsp. sugar, corn starch, and flour.

2) In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk ans remaining sugar and whisk until milk starts steaming.

3) Stir half the milk into the egg mixture and then pour all the contents into the saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking continuously until it is thick and smooth.

4) Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla bean paste.

5) Run through a sieve into a medium bowl and place over the ice bath, stirring constantly.

6) Remove from ice bath and place a piece of plastic wrap over the top, pressing onto the surface of the mixture to prevent a film from forming.

7) Refridgerate until ready to use.

9) When ready to pipe, pour the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe from one side of the eclair.


Chocolate Coat
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1) Place the chocolate pieces in a small, heat safe bowl.

2) Heat the cream over medium heat until bubbles form all around.

3) Pour the cream over the chocolate and stire with a spatula until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

4) Allow chocolate to come to room temperature and then spoon a little onto each eclair and spread it as evenly as you can.​