Eclairs with vanilla creme patissiere and chocolate ganache

Combine two cups of whole milk and one split vanilla bean in a medium pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, turning the heat off the moment it bubbles.

Whisk six egg yolks with two thirds of a cup of granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Whisk in the cornstarch vigorously until no lumps remain.

Temper the yolks by whisking in a quarter cup of the hot infused milk, then whisk in the rest, scraping the remaining vanilla seeds out of the pod.

Pass the mixture through a strainer back into the pot to catch any cornstarch lumps or bits of pod.

Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly into the corners, edge and centre, until it thickens; take it off heat the moment it thickens in the middle and keep stirring.

Whisk in one tablespoon of butter until melted.

Cool a little, transfer to a bowl, cover the surface with parchment or plastic so no skin forms, and chill two to twenty four hours.

Combine one cup of water, the salt, the sugar and the butter cut into pieces in a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat.

Off the heat, dump in the flour and stir hard for 30 to 60 seconds until incorporated.

Return to medium high heat and stir about 30 seconds more until the paste comes together in a ball and stops sticking to the pan.

Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and cool at least five minutes so it is warm, not hot.

Beat the eggs in one at a time on medium, cracking each into a small bowl first, and check the consistency after the third; adding the fourth in thirds if needed.

Stop when the dough is silky, soft and shiny and falls slowly and gracefully off the beater; too liquid and the eclairs will bake flat.

Set the oven to 425F.

Draw five inch guide lines on paper, flip it over, tack it down with dots of choux, and pipe even five inch lengths with an open star tip, well spaced so air can circulate.

Tap down any points with a wet fingertip, or brush with an egg wash made from one egg and a teaspoon and a half of water, straightening any misshapen eclairs as you brush.

Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then reduce to 375F and bake about 25 minutes more until golden and puffed.

Straight out of the oven cut small incisions in the bottoms so the steam escapes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Finely chop the semi-sweet chocolate into a bowl.

Scald the heavy cream just to the boil, pour it over the chocolate, stand two minutes and stir.

Whisk the chilled creme patissiere to loosen it back to silky and transfer it to a piping bag.

Variation: for a lighter creme diplomat, whip half a cup of cream with a couple of tablespoons of sugar and vanilla to soft peaks and fold it into the pastry cream.

Pipe the cream into the eclairs through the score marks until they feel heavy.

Dip the tops in the ganache and set in the fridge 45 minutes to an hour.