Chocolate Éclairs

Heat the milk to a bare simmer. Whisk yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together in a bowl until pale and thick. Pour half the hot milk over the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the cream boils and thickens — it must reach a full boil to fully cook out the cornstarch enzyme that causes it to thin again on cooling. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until fully cold — minimum 2 hours.

Make pâte à choux: bring water, butter, and salt to a rolling boil, add all flour at once, stir vigorously until the dough pulls away from the pan and forms a dry film on the bottom (about 2 minutes over medium heat). Cool for 2 minutes, then beat in eggs one at a time until the dough falls from a spoon in a V-shaped ribbon. Fill a piping bag with a large plain tip (14mm). Pipe 12cm logs on a parchment-lined sheet, keeping the pipe absolutely level and consistent in pressure. Wet a finger and smooth any peaks.

Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 25 minutes without opening the oven — steam inside the shells is what causes the hollow cavity, and cold air will collapse them irreversibly. After 25 minutes, reduce to 170°C and bake 10 more minutes with the oven door slightly ajar to allow the steam to escape. The finished shells should be deep golden-brown, completely dry, hollow-sounding when tapped, and rigid. Pierce each end immediately with a skewer when they come out of the oven.

Whip the chilled pastry cream briefly until smooth. Fill a piping bag with a small plain tip (5mm). Insert the tip into one of the pierced ends of each éclair and pipe slowly, filling until cream just begins to emerge from the other end. The shell should feel noticeably heavier and the sides should resist gently when squeezed — a sign of even filling. Do not overfill — bulging shells look clumsy and risk cracking.

Make the glaze: heat the heavy cream to a simmer, pour over the chopped dark chocolate, wait 60 seconds, then stir from the center outward until completely smooth and glossy. Dip the top of each éclair into the glaze at a 45-degree angle, allowing excess to drip for 3–4 seconds. Run a clean finger along one edge of the dipped side to create a clean glaze line. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set the glaze before serving. The glaze should set firm and crack cleanly when bitten.