Éclairs à la Vanille

Vanilla Crème Pâtissière:

1. Since the crème pâtissière will need time to set and cool, make that first. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla paste until smooth.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring milk to a low boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally.
3. Slowly pour a small amount of hot milk into egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. (This gently raises the temperature of the eggs so that they don’t end up scrambled.) After egg yolk mixture has been tempered, pour in remaining milk while continuously whisking.
4. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to keep mixture from scorching and lumps from forming. When the mixture starts to thicken and bubbles begin to appear, turn heat down to low and continue to whisk for 1–2 minutes more.
5. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until thoroughly combined and melted.
6. Place a metal sieve over a heat-safe bowl, then strain crème pâtissière. Immediately press cling film directly onto surface. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to fridge if you won’t be filling your éclairs immediately.

Pâte à Choux:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Cut a piece of parchment paper sized for a baking sheet. With a Sharpie, draw 8 4.5-inch lines on the parchment paper, keeping them at least 2 inches apart. Flip paper over and place on baking sheet, securing in place with small, metal binder clips. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Over high heat, melt butter and bring mixture to a boil, 1–2 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat and add flour to liquid mixture all at once. With a wooden spoon, quickly stir until thoroughly combined and the mixture forms a ball.
   NOTE: Make sure to find and incorporate any hidden clumps of flour.
5. Place pot back on medium-high heat. Continuously mix with wooden spoon until dough reads 175°F on an instant-read thermometer. (This step helps dry out the dough, which is vital.)
   NOTE: No thermometer? No problem. Look for a starchy film to form inside the pan and for the dough to pull together.
6. Transfer dough to bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium until dough registers 145°F. (Before continuing on, the dough should still be warm but no longer steaming. You don’t want it to cook the eggs!)
7. Crack eggs and egg white into a liquid measuring cup or another small vessel with a spout. Lightly whisk together.
8. With mixer on medium-low speed, slowly stream in one third of the whisked eggs. After the egg is incorporated, scrape down bowl as necessary. Repeat 2 more times until all eggs have been added.
9. Scrape down bowl, then beat dough on medium speed for 10 seconds.
10. Fit a piping bag with a ½-inch star tip. (We used an Ateco 825 tip.) Transfer pâte à choux to piping bag.
11. Whilst holding the piping bag at a 45° angle, gently drag tip along one of your template lines, slowly piping out a 1-inch-wide line of choux on the parchment paper. When you reach the end of the line, stop applying pressure and move tip up and over the éclair. (This incorporates the dangling last bit of choux instead of giving the éclair a tail.)
12. Continue piping pâte à choux until you have created all 8 éclairs. If there are any funky bumps, gently flatten ‘em with a wet fingertip.
13. Lightly coat éclairs with baking spray.
14. Bake for 30 minutes. Éclairs are done when they feel hollow and are golden brown and puffy.
15. Remove éclairs from oven. Using a paring knife, poke a small vent into the side of each. (This allows the steam to escape more easily.) Place éclairs back on baking sheet.
16. Turn off oven. Return éclairs to warm oven and leave ‘em in there with the door propped open for 30 minutes. (This helps them dry out even more.)
17. If after their second oven visit the éclairs are still warm, transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Vanilla Glaze:

1. In a bowl wide enough to fit an éclair, whisk together all ingredients until fully combined.
   NOTE: If you’d like your glaze to be thicker, add more confectioners’ sugar. If you’d like it to be thinner, add more milk.

Assembly & Decoration:

1. Fit a piping bag with a Bismark tip (such as an Ateco 229 tip). If your crème pâtissière has been in the fridge, pull it out and whisk it a little to loosen it up. Transfer to piping bag.
2. Poke the Bismark tip into the end of an éclair and pipe in crème pâtissière until éclair feels full. (We added about 40g of crème pât to each éclair.) Repeat with remaining éclairs.
3. Dip top of éclairs into vanilla glaze. Let glaze set for 10 minutes before serving.