Chocolate Éclair

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Choux Pastry

1. 1
   In a pot, bring the water and milk to a boil with the butter, salt and sugar.

   StovePot
2. 2
   Add the flour all at once and stir over the heat for 1–2 minutes, until the dough comes together into a ball and pulls away from the sides.

   Stove

   💡Cooking on the stove dries the dough: that way it absorbs more eggs, and their steam puffs it up in the oven.
3. 3
   Let cool 5 minutes and add the eggs one at a time, beating hard after each, until the dough is smooth and glossy.

   💡Add the next egg only after the previous one is fully absorbed: dough that gets eggs too fast turns runny and won't hold its shape.
4. 4
   Pipe 10 cm strips onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

   Piping bagBaking panParchment paper
5. 5
   Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (390°F) 20 minutes, until the pastries puff up. Lower the heat to 160°C (320°F) and bake 10 more minutes, until golden. Don't open the oven partway through.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

   💡Opening the oven partway through lets the steam out and the pastries collapse. Open it only when they are golden and firm.

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.

For the Cream Filling

1. 6
   Whip the cold cream on medium speed, until it starts to thicken.

   ⚙ WhippingBowlHand mixerorStand mixer

   💡Cold cream whips quickly and holds firm: warm cream won't hold air. Stop when the peaks are firm, before it turns grainy.

   💡Whip cream very cold, in a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, and stop when it holds firm: overwhipping turns it grainy and buttery.
2. 7
   Add the powdered sugar and keep whipping on high speed to firm peaks.

   Hand mixerorStand mixer

For the Ganache

1. 8
   Finely chop the chocolate and put it in a bowl.

   KnifeCutting boardBowl
2. 9
   Heat the cream until just about to boil and pour over the chocolate. Wait a minute without touching.

   StoveSmall saucepan
3. 10
   Stir gently from the center outward, until you get a smooth, glossy cream.

   💡Stir gently from the center outward: vigorous stirring beats in air, and the ganache loses its shine.
4. 11
   Cool the pastries completely and cut lengthwise each one.

   Knife
5. 12
   Fill each one with the filling.

   💡Fill only completely cooled pastries, and close to serving: filling in a warm pastry melts, and a pastry left standing filled turns soggy.
6. 13
   Pour the warm ganache over the top and serve.