Emma Duckworth’s Maple Eclairs

method:

• To make the maple pastry cream, add the milk and half of the sugar into a medium saucepan. Over a medium-high heat, bring the milk to a simmer, almost to a boil.
• Whilst the milk is heating up, in a medium bowl placed on a tea towel (to prevent it from slipping), add the rest of the sugar, salt, corn flour, vanilla extract and yolks, and whisk until combined.
• Once the milk starts to bubble, remove the pan from the heat. Whilst continuously whisking the egg mix, slowly pour a quarter of the milk in a thin steady stream into the egg mix to temper it. When it has been tempered, pour the egg mix back into the milk saucepan. Place the saucepan back onto a medium heat and heat the custard base whilst whisking constantly until it starts to thicken. Once bubbles appear, turn the heat down to low and keep whisking for a further two minutes. Add the maple syrup and butter and whisk until melted. Remove from the heat and push the custard base through a sieve over a medium bowl. Immediately cover the surface of the custard with cling film, allow to cool to room temperature and chill in the fridge until required.
• To make the choux pastry, heat your oven to 210C/400F/Gas 6. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, add the water, butter, salt and sugar and bring to the boil over medium heat, melting the butter. Remove the pan from the heat and tip the flour into the saucepan. Stir until completely combined and the mixture forms a ball. Place back onto the heat and cook out the flour for three minutes to dry out the dough. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl to cool for 10 minutes or until the dough has stopped steaming but is still warm. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition – the mixture will make a smooth and shiny paste.
• Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain nozzle and pipe 11cm long lengths on baking paper, leaving a couple of one-centimetre gaps between each length. Dip your finger in water and smooth the ends of the length so that it doesn’t have a point. Gently brush the choux dough with egg wash. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until golden-brown. Remove from the oven, poke a hole in the bottom of each choux to allow the steam to escape and cool for at least an hour.
• Whilst the choux pastry is cooling, make your candied pecans. To do this, mix the pecans, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a small bowl until the nuts are fully coated. Lay on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for seven minutes. Remove and toss the pecans on the paper and then continue baking for five more minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle over sea salt, toss to coat and then allow to cool completely before chopping with a knife.
• Now make your maple glaze. In a medium bowl, sift the icing sugar then add the maple syrup, milk and butter and whisk until fully combined. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time. Or if it's too thin, add one-quarter cup of icing sugar until the desired consistency is reached.
• Scoop the pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a long eclair piping nozzle, then create a slit in the end of each choux pastry. Squeeze pastry cream into the pastry until it feels full and heavy. Then dip the top into the glaze and finally sprinkle with maple flakes or chopped candied pecans. Allow the icing to set for ten minutes, then serve.