ÉCLAIRS

Steps:

• In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, combine the sugar, salt, and 3 cups of the milk, and bring up to a bubble. While the milk is heating up, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of milk with the cornstarch in a bowl and stir until completely dissolved. In another large bowl, break up the egg yolks and whisk them together.
• Using a whisk, add the cornstarch mixture to the simmering milk and stir continuously until thickened, about 2 minutes (it's OK if the mixture comes to a low boil).
• When the mixture has thickened, slowly add a couple ladlefuls of the hot liquid to the bowl with the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Add the egg yolk mixture back to the pot, return it to medium heat, and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic down so that it covers the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• In a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat, combine 1 cup water, the butter, and salt. Heat until the butter has melted and the water is boiling.
• Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to create a dough ball in the center of the pot and the dough is completely pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. On low speed, add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl well after each addition and beating until the bowl feels cool (the mixture should be very smooth and silky).
• Transfer the mixture to a plastic food-storage bag and cut 1/2 inch off of one corner to create a pastry bag. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pipe out about sixteen 4-inch-long lines of dough to make small éclairs. Leave about 2 inches of space between each éclair. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 40 minutes.
• The pastries can be made a day or two ahead of time and kept in an airtight container at room temperature. If they feel soggy when you take them out, pop them into a 400°F oven for a couple of minutes until they crisp up again. Allow them to cool before filling.
• Place the chopped chocolate in a small to medium-size stainless-steel or glass mixing bowl and set aside. Heat the cream in a small sauce pot over medium heat and carefully bring to a boil. Be careful; the cream can burn quickly. Remove the cream from the heat and pour it over the chocolate in the bowl. Immediately start stirring to fully incorporate the chocolate. Stir until it is melted. Cool the chocolate slightly before using.
• To assemble the éclairs, give the pastry cream a stir and smooth it out, then transfer it to a plastic food-storage bag. Cut off about 1/4 inch from one corner to make a pastry bag.
• Using a chopstick or the tip of a pair of scissors, poke a hole in one end of each baked pastry. Squeeze the pastry cream into each opening, filling the pastries. To finish, spoon about 1 tablespoon of the warm icing across the top of each éclair or dip the top of each éclair in the icing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. You may spread a simple chocolate frosting on top instead of the melted chocolate if you'd like.