Chocolate Eclair Recipe

• 1/2 cup/120 ml water
• 2 ozs./50g. butter
• 3 ozs./60g. plain flour
• 2 eggs - beaten

• 1 cup/250ml. double cream
• 2 tsps. vanilla sugar or caster

• 3 ozs./75g. dark chocolate
• 3 tsps. butter
• 3 ozs./75g icing sugar
• 2 tbsps. water

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1. Preheat your oven to 400ºf.200ºc/ Gas 6.
2. Pour the water into a medium saucepan and add the butter.
3. Place the pan over a medium heat, and as soon as the butter melts, turn up the heat and bring to a boil.
4. Add all the flour in one go and take the pan off the heat.
5. Stir well until the flour has blended in with the liquid and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
6. Leave the mixture to cool slightly, and when the dough is warm to the touch, start beating in the eggs, a tablespoon at a time. 
7. Beat well with a wooden spoon, or use an electric mixer. When you've added all of the egg the pastry should be glossy and have a  almost dropping consistency. 
8. Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle and pipe finger lengths, about 5cm long onto a lightly greased baking tray. 
9. Leave about 3cm space between each eclair, as they need space to puff up in the oven.
10. Bake the eclairs for about 15 minutes before turning down the heat to 190C/gas 5 for another 10 minutes. They should be golden brown and well-risen.
11. Remove from the oven and pierce each éclair with the point of a sharp knife, so that the steam can escape without making the pastry soggy. 
12. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

1. Whip the cream with sugar until thick and spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
2. With a sharp knife, make a slit along the side of each eclair and insert the piping nozzle.
3. Pipe the cream into the éclairs and place in the fridge to firm up while you make the icing.
4. Tip the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and add the butter. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted.
5. Add the sieved icing sugar, a little at a time. ( you may need to add the water if the mixture gets too thick, before you add all of the
6. icing sugar, if not add afterwards)
7. When completely smooth spread the icing over the top of each éclair and leave on one side until set.
8. You can also make profiteroles with this recipe by spooning out the pastry on to a greased baking tray and baking, filling and topping the same way.

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