How to Make Chocolate Eclairs

Pate a choux (light pastry dough):

• 1/2 cup water
• 3 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature and sliced
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4-5 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1-2 cups of pastry cream
• 1/2- 3/4 cup chocolate ganache

• Since creating chocolate eclairs is a multi-tiered process, you will need different sets of equipment for each stage.
• For the chocolate ganache, you will need a saucepan, a medium-sized bowl and a whisk.
• The pastry dough requires a saucepan, sheet pan, parchment paper, a wooden spoon, a mixer and a pastry bag with a straight tip.
• Equipment for the pastry filling includes a bowl, a whisk, a strainer and plastic wrap.

1. Bring milk, water and butter to a boil.
2. Crack each egg into a separate bowl, as you will be adding them one at a time.
3. Combine the flour, sugar and salt.
   
4. When the liquid reaches a boil, stir it and pour flour mixture into the pot.
5. Stir over the heat until the dough forms a ball.
6. Remove from heat, and stir until the dough cools to lukewarm.
   
7. Add one egg at a time to the flour mixture, and stir until absorbed.
8. After the eggs have been added, place the dough into a pastry bag, fitted with a straight tip.
9. Pipe eclairs onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet.
10. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes, then lower the temp to 375°F and bake an additional 15 minutes.
    
11. Remove from the parchemnt and allow the eclairs to cool.
12. Fill a pastry bag or a resealable bag with pastry cream, and pipe the cream inside the eclair. There may be a hole in the eclair already from an air bubble while baking, otherwise, use a knife to make a hole.
13. Drizzle chocolate ganache over the cooled eclair.