Eclairs with Vanilla Cream

Combine water, salt and butter in a saucepan and place over heat.

When it comes to a boil and the butter has melted, sprinkle over with the flour whisking constantly, so there will be no lumps.

Remove the whisk and use a spoon or a spatula to mix constantly for half a minute over heat - notice that the pastry is starting to come together. 

Remove the saucepan from the heat. 

Chill for 10-15 minutes.

Then add in the eggs one by one and beat with the mixer after each one - it will be harder at first, because the pastry is denser.

The mixture should be a pastry which won't come easily off the spoon.

Prepare the pastry bag - worst case scenario, you can use a spoon.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Spoon the dough in the pastry bag and pipe out the eclairs in the shape and the size you want. 

Make sure the eclairs are well spaced between, they will rise while baking and we don't want them to stick to each other.

Bake in the preheated oven to 200 degrees C for 25-30 minutes, and even if they will soon look brown, don't remove from oven too soon, they will lose their firm shape. 

Warning! Do not open the oven while baking the eclairs - they will flatten out and lose their shape - it happened to me, so I know for sure.

While the eclairs cool down, prepare the vanilla cream - you can also do it before. 

I made 2 portions, I suggest you do the same. Let chill.

Split the cooled eclairs on the long side with a knife.

And spoon the vanilla cream into each one of them - I used a smaller spoon, I thought it was easier like this.

Decorate with whipped cream, powdered sugar or top with melted chocolate.

Here is what the eclairs look like inside, they are very tasty and have become my favourites as well.

I read somewhere that they keep quite well in the freezer, so I froze some for testing - for when the craving hits again :) 

Enjoy!