Éclairs

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Heat 500 g whole milk until almost boiling, whisk 100 g egg yolks with 100 g granulated sugar and 40 g cornstarch until pale, then pour in the milk and cook again over medium heat until the cream thickens and bubbles. Take the pan off the heat and stir in 80 g finely chopped dark chocolate and 30 g unsalted butter until melted. Adding the chocolate while the cream is hot lets it melt completely smooth. The cream is ready when it's glossy, evenly brown and falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Pour the chocolate cream into a shallow container, press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate for about two hours. The cream needs to be cold so it's thick enough to pipe into the shells. It's ready when it's chilled all the way through and turns smooth and supple when you stir it again.

   Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Heat the oven to 180°C, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and draw 14 cm lines a few centimeters apart as guides. The guides keep the éclairs the same length so they bake evenly. The oven is ready when the temperature is steady and the sheets are prepared.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Put 125 g water, 125 g whole milk, 110 g unsalted butter, 2 g salt and 5 g granulated sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat, immediately add 150 g all-purpose flour and stir hard with a spatula. When the flour meets the boiling liquid its starch gelatinizes, building a structure that traps steam and makes the shells puff up hollow. The dough is ready when it comes together into a smooth mass with no dry flour left.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Turn the heat back on low and keep stirring the dough for about two minutes, pressing it against the bottom of the pan and turning it over. This drives off some of the moisture so the dough can absorb more egg. It's ready when a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan and the dough looks slightly glossy.

   Low heat.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Transfer the dough to a bowl, beat on low speed for a minute to cool it slightly, then add 240 g beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Adding the eggs gradually lets you control the consistency, since you won't always need all of them. The dough is ready when it's glossy and smooth and hangs from the beater in a V shape when lifted.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, hold the bag at about a forty-five-degree angle and pipe along the guides with steady pressure, stopping the squeeze at the end of each one and flicking the tip away. The ridges from the star tip help the shells puff evenly without random cracks. The strips are right when they're evenly thick, straight and about two and a half centimeters wide.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Bake at 180°C for about 30 to 35 minutes and don't open the oven door for the first twenty minutes. Steady heat lets the shells puff up and then dry out firm, while opening the oven too early makes them collapse instantly. The shells are done when they're evenly golden brown, the ridges have darkened too and they feel feather-light when you pick one up.

   Bake at 180°C for about 30 to 35 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Move the shells to a rack and let them cool for about twenty minutes. The shells need to be fully cool to stay crisp when they meet the cold cream. They're ready when they feel cool to the touch and still firm.

   Suggested time: about 20 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Use a pointed skewer to poke three small holes in the bottom of each shell, spoon the whisked-smooth chocolate cream into a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe it in through each hole. Filling from several points makes sure the cream reaches the whole length of the éclair. They're filled when they feel heavy in your hand and a little cream peeks out of the last hole.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Bring 100 g heavy cream and 15 g corn syrup just to a boil, pour it over 100 g finely chopped dark chocolate, let it sit for a minute, then stir from the center outward. Corn syrup keeps the glaze shiny and stops it from cracking as it sets. The glaze is ready when it's smooth, mirror-glossy and still warm at about 32°C.

    Low heat.

    Mark step 11 as done

12. Step 12

    Holding each éclair upside down, dip the top into the glaze, lift it out to let the excess drip off, then wipe the edges clean with a fingertip. Then refrigerate the éclairs for about fifteen minutes to set the glaze. Wiping the edges gives a neat, tidy chocolate line. They're finished when the glaze is dry to the touch, shiny and doesn't stick to your fingers.

    Mark step 12 as done