Vanilla Eclairs
Step 1 - Vanilla Pastry Cream
4 egg yolks
70g sugar
whisk the egg yolks with sugar until slightly pale
40g cornstarch
2 cups (480ml) milk
bring to a simmer
pour about a third of the hot milk over the egg yolk mixture
pour the whole mixture over the milk into the saucepan
bring to a boil while stirring until thickens
2 tsp (10g) vanilla extract
allow to cool for 10 minutes
1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
set aside until ready to use
Step 2 - Choux Pastry
100 ml milk
100 ml water
1/2 tsp (2.5g) salt
2 tsp (10g) sugar
80g unsalted butter
bring to a boil
remove from heat and add 125 g of sifted flour
cook over low heat for 1 minute or two to pull out the moisture from the batter and until it pulls away from the sides of the pan
let cool slightly
add 4 eggs one at a time
pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1cm) star tip, more teeth even better
pipe the dough into 4 or 5 inch (10 -12 cm) long strips
dust with powdered sugar
bake for about 40 minutes in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven
after the first 10 minutes, open the oven door slightly, about 1/8 inch (2-3 mm), to let the steam escape.
bake for the rest of 30 minutes with the door slightly ajar, until golden
prick each with a skewer to release steam
Poke 3 holes in the base of each eclair using a 1/4 inch (5-6mm) tip
piping bag fitted wih a 1/4 inch (5-6mm) tip
Step 3 - Chocolate Ganache
200 g semiswet chocolate (55%-70% cocoa)
cut in smaller pieces
160 ml whipping cream
place over medium-low heat for a few minutes to get hot
let rest for 1-2 minutes
stir until chocolate is completely melted
Dip the tops of the eclairs into the chocolate