Nutella éclairs for World Nutella Day

Instructions

To make the éclairs:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F/ 180˚C.
2. Prepare two baking trays with parchment paper.
3. Bring the water, butter and salt to the boil in a heavy pot.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add all the flour at once.
5. Stir the dough vigorously with a wooden spoon - it will come together fairly quickly, but keep stirring over the low heat until it forms a smooth, shiny ball of dough. Altogether you will cook this flour mixture for about 2 minutes. There will be a slight crust on the bottom of the pan.
6. Place the dough in a clean glass or metal bowl and use a wooden spoon to break up the mixture a little to release the steam. Keep doing this for a couple of minutes so the dough loses some of its heat.
7. Add one egg and, using a wooden spoon, stir even more vigorously than before - don't worry, your dough will separate and look like it's ruined but have faith and continue to stir until it comes together again into a smooth shiny dough. Add the second egg and mix until the dough has come together again.
8. Repeat with the third and fourth egg.
9. Scrape the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and, pipe the dough onto the baking trays in 10cm (4 inch) long thick strips.
10. Leave about 5 cm (2 inches) space in between each strip to allow them room to puff.
11. The ends of your éclairs might have peaks on top - use your finger dipped in water to smooth these over.
12. Bake for 25 minutes, checking on the éclairs ½ way through the cook time to perhaps turn the trays from front to back to ensure even baking.
13. Remove from the oven and transfer the éclairs to a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, make the crème pâtissière:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the milk, to a boil.
2. In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a heavy‐bottomed saucepan.
3. Once the milk has reached a boil, pour in a couple of teaspoons of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture and whisk until combined.
4. Pour in the rest of the hot milk and place the pan over medium heat, continuing to whisk vigorously until the mixture comes back to the boil.
5. Continue to cook and whisk until the mixture starts to thicken slightly (it should coat the back of a wooden spoon) then remove from the heat.
6. Transfer the mix to a cool bowl and continue to whisk gently to cool the mixture down.
7. Once it’s not too hot stir in the Nutella, tablespoon by tablespoon.
8. Allow the cream to come to room temperature then refrigerate, covered in cling film, until you are ready to use

Now, make the chocolate ganache:

1. Place the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a metal bowl, set over a pot of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted (you can also melt this in a microwave at 50% heat, in 1-2 minute bursts of time until it’s melted)
2. Remove the bowl from the heat or microwave and stir until smooth.

To assemble:

1. Cut the éclairs in halves lengthwise. Make sure you keep the tops and bottoms together.
2. Spoon the crème pâtissière into a piping bag fitted with a plain or a star tip.
3. Pipe 3-4 mounds of the crème along the length of the éclair's bottom layer.
4. Dip the tops in the chocolate glaze, shaking off excess chocolate before topping the filled bottom halves of the éclairs.
5. Sprinkle with toasted, chopped hazelnuts.
6. Refrigerate until the crème pâtissière firms up a little.