INGREDIENTS:
For the choux pastry:
1/2 cup (120ml) Milk
1/2 cup (120ml) Water
7 tablespoons (100g) Butter
1 cup + 1 tbsp (140g) Flour
1 tablespoons (12g) Sugar
4 Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Powdered sugar
For the vanilla cream pastry:
2 cups (480ml) Whole milk
1/3 cup (70g) Sugar
1/3 cup (40g) Cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Salt
4 large Egg yolks
2 tablespoons (30g) Butter
2 teaspoons Vanilla paste/Vanilla bean
For the chocolate ganache:
150g (5.3oz) Dark chocolate
1/2 cup (120ml) Heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
Make the pastry cream:
-In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
-Scrape the seeds of ½ vanilla bean. Add the bean and the seeds to a medium saucepan with milk, heat stirring occasionally, until simmer.
-Remove vanilla bean from the simmering milk. Turn the heat off. Temper the eggs: gradually add the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
-When combined, pour the mixture back to the saucepan, heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until thickens, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter (if you are using vanilla paste/extract this the time to add it), stir until smooth.
-Cover with plastic wrap and let cool completely.
Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
Make the choux pastry:
-Place water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the flour, stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated.
-Once flour is incorporated, place back over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes or until dough comes together into a smooth ball.
-Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add the eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate after each addition. Beat until dough is smooth.
-Transfer the dough to a large piping bag with a large ½ inch (1 cm) star tip. Pipe the dough into 4-inch (10cm) long strips on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, keeping them 1½-inch (3-4cm) apart. Dip your finger in water and pat the ends of the eclairs to flatten the pointed ends. Dust each éclair with powder sugar.
-Place the baking try in the oven and reduce immediately to 350F (175C). Bake for 18-20 minutes. Quickly prick each of the eclairs with a toothpick.
-Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool. With a small pastry tip, poke 2-3 holes through the bottom of each cooled pastry. Pipe the chilled cream inside. Refrigerate eclairs while making chocolate ganache.
Chocolate Ganache:
-Chop the chocolate, place in a large bowl. In a saucepan bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 1-2 minutes. Stir until smooth
-Dip the top half of filled and chilled eclairs into the chocolate sauce, allowing excess to drip off.