Ingredients: For the Choux Pastry: 1 cup water ???? 1/2 cup unsalted butter ???? 1 cup all-purpose flour ???? 4 large eggs ???????????????? For the Pastry Cream: 2 cups whole milk ???? 1/2 cup granulated sugar ???? 1/4 cup cornstarch ???? 4 large egg yolks ???????????????? 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ???? For the Chocolate Ganache: 1/2 cup heavy cream ???? 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped ???? Instructions: Choux Pastry: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine water and butter. Bring to a boil. Add flour to the boiling mixture all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The dough should be smooth and glossy.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in 4-inch lengths, leaving space between each éclair. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the éclairs are golden brown and puffed. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely. Pastry Cream: In a saucepan, heat the milk until it just begins to boil.
In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks until well combined. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and let it cool. Chocolate Ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to boil. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute.
Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth. Assembling: Cut the éclairs in half horizontally. Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottom half of each éclair. Dip the top of each filled éclair into the chocolate ganache.
Allow the ganache to set before serving. Now, you have delicious homemade chocolate éclairs ready to be enjoyed! ????✨