Eclairs

1. Heat the oven to 200 C (400 F) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Put the butter, water and salt in a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts, then bring to a rolling boil.
2. Take the pan off the heat, tip in all the flour at once, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides; return to low heat for 1 minute to dry slightly.
3. Let the paste cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs a little at a time until you have a smooth, glossy dough that drops reluctantly from the spoon; you may not need all the egg.
4. Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm plain nozzle and pipe twelve lines about 10 cm long onto the trays, spacing them well apart.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until risen, deep golden and firm, then remove, pierce each end with a skewer to release steam, and return to the turned-off oven for 5 minutes to dry the centres. Cool completely on a rack.
6. Whip the cream with the caster sugar and vanilla to soft peaks, then pipe or spoon it into the split eclairs.
7. Melt the chopped dark chocolate gently over a pan of barely simmering water, then dip or spread the tops of the filled eclairs and leave to set before serving.

You'll use: Oven · Saucepan · Pan · Baking sheet · Steamer