Éclairs

Preheat the oven to 200 °C (top and bottom heat) and prepare a baking tray.

Bring the butter, a pinch of salt, vanilla sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan until the butter is completely melted.

Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until a smooth dough ball forms and a light film appears on the bottom of the pan.

Let the dough cool briefly, then beat in the eggs one at a time until a shiny, thick choux pastry forms.

Use 2 tablespoons to place portions of dough on the baking tray and shape them into elongated sticks about 6 cm long and 2 cm high.

Bake the éclairs for 40–50 minutes without opening the oven door in between.

For the filling, mix the vanilla pudding with some softened butter into a smooth buttercream.

Fill the cooled éclairs with the buttercream and then coat them with dark chocolate glaze.