70% Dark Chocolate Éclairs

How to make it

1. 1

   Gelatinize the choux dough

   Put the water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar in a pot; when the liquid bubbles up hard all the way to the center, turn off the heat, add the sifted medium-strength flour, and stir it quickly into a single mass. Turn the heat back to high and cook it, stirring evenly, until the dough is fully gelatinized.

2. 2

   Add the eggs

   Move the dough to a bowl, let it cool a little, then add the eggs a bit at a time, mixing well so no lumps form.

3. 3

   Pipe and bake

   Pipe lengths about 12cm long with an 869k tip and bake them at 350°F (170°C) for 50 minutes.

4. 4

   Make the holes

   Once they have cooled completely, make three small holes in the bottom.

5. 5

   Chocolate custard

   Mix the white sugar into the egg yolks, then add the cornstarch and mix until no lumps remain. Heat the milk until it bubbles around the edges, pour it in a little at a time to combine, then move it to a pot and cook it over medium-high heat, stirring.

6. 6

   Melt in the chocolate

   Boil it until it seizes into lumps, loosens again, and bubbles up; then add the dark couverture and stir until it melts. Strain it, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and chill it.

   · Valrhona Guanaja 70% makes it deep without being very sweet.

7. 7

   Fill with cream

   Fill the cooled éclairs with the cream.

8. 8

   Chocolate glaze

   Bloom the gelatin sheets in ice water for at least 10 minutes. Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup (mulyeot) to about 80°C, add the squeezed-out gelatin and the dark couverture, and let them melt completely; emulsify it with a hand blender or a spatula and cool it to 35°C.

9. 9

   Finish

   Dip the top of each éclair into the glaze, lift it out, and draw a finger across to smooth the coating.

No coming back

Things that actually went wrong over 20 years in a kitchen.

• Never open the door while they bake.
• The glaze is on the sweet side, so a thick coat makes it too sweet. Keep the coat thin.

You can fix this

If it hasn't burned or stuck to the pan, it can still be fixed.

• If the cream is loose, whip it further. If it splits, warm it slightly and whip again. Sugar cannot be taken back out once it is in.