CHOUX PASTE
In a saucepan, bring to the boil the milk, water, salt, sugar and the cubed butter.
Remove the pan from the heat and add all at once the flour then mix energetically using a spatula.
Return the saucepan to the heat and dry out the choux paste until it comes away from the sides of the pan.
Transfer the choux paste into the mixing bowl.
Using a paddle attachment, cool down the paste on the 1st speed until approximately 50°C. Incorporate the first third of the eggs, then progressively the remaining eggs. You can rectify the consistency with the hot milk if required.
Prepare a greased tray, then using a piping bag fitted with a plain no°20 nozzle, pipe out the éclairs to 13 cm in length approximately 35 g.
Bake the éclairs in a bakers oven at 180-190°C for 15 min with the vent open.
VANILLA PASTRY CREAM
Heat the cream, milk, vanilla powder and the cut and scraped vanilla beans.
Combine together the sugar and the egg yolks then add the pastry cream powder.
Remove the vanilla bean after the infusion.
Loosen the egg mixture with some of the hot infusion then pour all of the mixture into the hot milk. Cook the pastry cream for 1 min at boiling point.
While the mixture is still hot; incorporate the butter and mix then stock the pastry cream covered in cling film in the refrigerator at 5°C.
VANILLA FONDANT
Prepare an infusion by bringing to the boil the 30°B stock syrup and the cut and scraped vanilla bean.
Combine together the fondant, stock syrup and glucose then temper this mixture to 35-40°C.
Add to this the melted cocoa butter. Rectify the consistency by adding some stock syrup if necessary.
ASSEMBLY AND FINISHING
Fill the éclairs through three holes with the vanilla pastry cream using a piping bag fitted with a no°7 nozzle (approx. 80 g) then glaze with the vanilla fondant.
