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1
Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/425F/gas mark 7.
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2
Line two baking trays with baking parchment, or butter two trays well.
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3
Put the butter and 125ml of water, the salt and sugar into a pan and place over a gentle heat until melted, then increase the heat and bring to a boil.
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4
Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the pan.
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5
Reduce the heat to very low and beat for 30 seconds to dry the mixture a little, but not too much or the eclairs will crack in the oven.
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6
Cool for three or four minutes.
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7
Set one egg aside, place in a bowl and break it up with a fork.
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8
Crack the other egg into the mixture and beat it in.
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9
Gradually add the remaining egg, beating hard after each addition.
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10
You may not need it all.
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11
The dough will become shiny and fall from the spoon.
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12
Spoon it into the piping bag, and pipe six 10cm diameter circles on the baking trays.
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13
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/fan 160C/350F/gas mark 4 and bake for 1520 minutes, until crisp.
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14
Slit the side of each and leave to cool.
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15
For the filling, whip the cream to soft peaks, then add the vanilla and icing sugar.
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16
Split the eclairs in half and pipe in the cream.
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17
For the dark icing, place a heatproof bowl over simmering water; the bowl should not touch the water.
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18
Place the chocolate, 2 tbsp of water and the butter in the bowl and melt.
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19
Sift in the icing sugar, mix and cool slightly.
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20
For the lighter icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl.
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21
Stir in 45 tsp of water and the liquid glucose, aiming for the consistency of double cream.
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22
Spread your choice of icing over the eclairs, allow it to set slightly and finally sprinkle with stars.
