Eclairs

Steps

• Prep: Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and line two baking sheets.
• Choux: Bring the water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar to a full boil.
  ⏱ Start 4 min timer
• Choux: Take off the heat, dump in the flour, and stir hard until it forms a smooth ball. Return to low heat and cook, stirring, until a thin film forms on the pan bottom.
  ⏱ Start 3 min timer
• Choux: Cool 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth and glossy.
  ⏱ Start 5 min timer
• Pipe: Pipe into 4-inch logs, spaced well apart, on the lined sheets. Smooth any peaks with a wet finger.

  Tip: Piped points that don't get smoothed will scorch before the rest of the shell has finished baking.

• Bake: Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes, then drop to 175°C (350°F) and continue until deeply golden and firm all the way along.
  ⏱ Start 17 min timer

  Tip: Eclairs need more total time than round puffs of similar volume — their shape means the centre takes longer to dry out.

• Bake: Turn the oven off, prop the door open, and let them dry out inside.
  ⏱ Start 10 min timer
• Glaze: Warm the cream until just steaming, pour over the chopped chocolate, and let sit a minute before stirring until smooth and glossy.
  ⏱ Start 1 min timer
• Assemble: Once fully cool, split the shells, pipe or spoon in the pastry cream, replace the tops, and dip the tops in the warm chocolate glaze.