Eclairs with vanilla custard

Recipe:

Prepare choux pastry.

Pour water and milk into the sauce pan, add salt, sugar and butter.

Cook on a high heat until butter melts. Remove and stir in the flour. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the dough rolls into a ball, and a crust begins to form at the bottom, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, stirring properly with spatula until smooth after each addition. Сonstantly check the consistency of the dough – it mustn’t become too liquid. Depending on the size more or less eggs may be required. It’s better to add last egg by parts – beat it with a fork and add gradually. The dough must be smooth and glossy.

Put choux pastry into a piping bag with french star piping tip (12 mm diameter).

Line the baking sheet with silicone mat (perforated is the best) and pipe the eclairs 10 cm long.

Bake in preheated oven at 220C for 10 minutes. Than reduce the heat to 180C and bake until ready, for 20-25 minutes more.

Remove from baking sheet, make in each 2 holes in the bottoms to let the steam come out. Let cool completely.

Prepare the custard cream.

Whisk the egg yolks with sugar and corn starch.

Pour milk and heavy cream into a saucepan and bring to a boil on a high heat. Pour into an egg mixture, constantly stirring with a whisk. Pour the mixture back into a saucepan, put on the stove and cook on a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thikens. Remove from heat.

Transfer the cream into a bowl, cover with a plastic film and let cool to a room temperature. Add soft butter and whisk until smooth. Put the cream into a piping bag, cut the tip and fill the eclairs.

Sprinkle with a powdered sugar and serve.

Bon Appetit!