Chocolate Éclairs

Steps

1. 1
   Make the pastry cream first: bring the 500 ml milk to a simmer with the scraped vanilla seeds and pod. Whisk the yolks, 100 g sugar and cornflour in a bowl until pale.
2. 2
   Pour the hot milk over the yolks in a thin stream, whisking, then return everything to the pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles; keep it bubbling for 1 minute so the cornflour cooks out and the cream does not thin later.
3. 3
   Off the heat, discard the pod and whisk in the 30 g butter. Spread in a shallow dish, press cling film onto the surface and chill for at least 2 hours.
4. 4
   Heat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C). Bring the water, 125 ml milk, diced butter, 1 tsp sugar and salt to a rolling boil, add the flour all at once and beat over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball.
5. 5
   Cool the dough in a bowl for 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time until it is glossy and falls from the spoon in a thick V-shaped ribbon.
6. 6
   Using a 1.5 cm star nozzle, pipe 12 cm fingers onto lined trays, 4 cm apart. The star ridges help them rise evenly without cracking.
7. 7
   Bake for 30–35 minutes without opening the door, until deep golden and firm — pale éclairs soften and sag as they cool. Cool on a rack.
8. 8
   Beat the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then pierce three small holes along the base of each éclair and pipe the cream in until each feels heavy.
9. 9
   For the glaze, heat the cream until steaming, pour it over the chocolate, wait 2 minutes and stir until glossy; let it cool for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
10. 10
    Dip the top of each éclair in the glaze, let the excess drip off, and chill for 15 minutes to set before serving.