Chocolate Eclairs

1. Pre-heat oven to moderately hot (190 degrees Celsius, fan-forced).
2. In a saucepan, heat water and butter until butter melts and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in sifted flour (adding flour all at once) and mix in briskly using a wooden spoon. Return to heat for 30 seconds, continuously stirring. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Beat in egg yolk and then each egg, one at a time until combined. You can use a wooden spoon or slowest speed on a stand mixer.
6. Using a 2cm piping nozzle (ideally open star shape) and piping bag, pipe 6 x 13 cm long eclairs onto baking trays lined with baking paper. Make each end of the eclairs a little fuller, and use a knife or kitchen scissors to finish piping each eclair.
7. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven (leaving oven on) and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
8. Using a bread knife, cut eclairs in half horizontally, leaving one long edge intact. Return to oven for 3 minutes, then remove and allow eclairs to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Cream Filling

1. Whip thickened cream and icing sugar until stiff peaks form.
2. Using a 2cm piping nozzle (ideally closed star shape) and piping bag, fill each eclair with cream following a wave pattern down the length of the eclair. Place each eclair back onto the tray and place into fridge until you’re ready to glaze the eclairs.

Chocolate Icing

1. Place chocolate chips in a bowl.
2. Heat cream in a saucepan until it starts to boil.
3. Pour heated cream over chocolate chips. Stir a little then leave for a couple of minutes. Stir again until combined.
4. Pour chocolate topping onto a large shallow tray, dinner plate or similar.
5. Carefully dip the top of each éclair into the glaze. Allow glaze to drip off the éclair for 30 seconds before inverting and placing back onto the tray. Once each éclair is glazed, fill any gaps in the glaze by using a teaspoon to add additional glaze. Place into fridge to set and store in fridge.