Eclairs

Instructions

Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas 6. Melt the butter with the water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring now and then, and sift the flour into a small bowl while you wait.

Turn up the heat and bring the liquid to the boil, then switch off the heat and tip in the flour all at once. Beat hard with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes a smooth dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan, which takes only a few seconds.

Let the dough cool for 3 to 4 minutes, then beat in the egg a little at a time. Stop when the dough is thick, smooth and shiny and still holds its shape; with large eggs you may not need the last two or three tablespoonfuls.

Scrape the dough into a piping bag or large freezer bag and snip off one bottom corner to make a hole about 1 cm long. Line two baking sheets with parchment and pipe sausage shapes about 4 cm apart, making around 12, since they will at least double in size.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the éclairs are puffed, golden brown all over and feel hard when poked with a knife. Take each one off the tray straight away, wearing oven gloves, and slit the side with the point of a knife to release steam so they do not turn soggy. Cool them on a wire rack.

Whip the cream until it just holds its shape and chill it. For the icing, stir the sugar and water in a small pan over low heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil fast for three minutes and take the pan off the heat to cool for a few minutes.

When the syrup is very warm rather than hot, add the broken chocolate and the chunks of butter. Stir until you have a smooth, glossy sauce, then leave it to cool, stirring now and then, until it starts to thicken.

Once the buns are cool, fill each one with the whipped cream using a teaspoon or piping bag, widening the slit if needed. Smear the chocolate icing generously over the tops with a clean teaspoon and leave them on the rack until the icing sets. They can go in the fridge for a few hours if you are not eating them at once.