Chocolate eclairs

Making your own chocolate eclairs is not as complicated as you might think. They make a lovely special occasion morning or afternoon tea.

CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 35 mins + cooling
Makes: 18

Ingredients

• 125ml / ½ cup of water
• 125ml / ½ cup of milk
• 100g of unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• pinch of sugar
• 150g / 1 cup of plain flour
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 300ml / 1¼ cups of thickened cream
• icing sugar to sweeten the cream

Icing

• 1 cup of icing sugar
• 1 tbsp of cocoa powder, sifted
• 20ml / 1 tbsp of water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6.
2. To make the choux pastry, place the water, milk, sugar, salt and butter in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
3. Pour in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
4. Continue to beat over a medium heat until the mixture comes together into a ball and comes away from the sides of the pot (about 3–4 minutes). If you take the pot off the stove and shake it, the mixture should come together as one mass.
5. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for about 5–10 minutes.
6. Gradually add in the beaten eggs in 3–4 lots, making sure you incorporate them before adding more. The mixture should drop from a wooden spoon.
7. Place the mixture in a piping bag with 1.5cm / ½” nozzle, and then pipe into 10cm / 4″ lengths on a tray(s) lined with baking/parchment paper.
8. Place tray(s) in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180ºC / 375ºF / Gas mark 4–5 and bake for a further 10 minutes.
9. While they are baking in the oven, make the icing by mixing the icing sugar, cocoa and water using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Mix until smooth and glossy. Whip the cream together with 1 tablespoon of sugar until stiff peaks form.
10. Remove pastry from oven, then allow to cool, slice lengthways leaving them joined along a long side, then fill with the sweetened cream and top with chocolate icing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until required.

TIP
This choux pastry mixture can be made into profiteroles.