Chocolate Pistachio Éclairs

Instructions

1. Place an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with baking spray and line with parchment. Prepare a pastry bag, fitted with a ½ - inch plain tip.
2. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and egg white together. In a small saucepan set over medium heat bring the water, butter, milk, sugar and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the flour until combined. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook the mixture until it looks like shiny wet-sand stirring constantly. About 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor. With the processor running, pour the egg mixture through the feed tube gradually until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and process for another 30 seconds until a thick smooth paste forms.
4. Transfer warm pâte à choux paste to prepared pastry bag. Pipe into eight 5 x 1-inch logs, separated 1 inch apart. To smooth out, wet a finger and shape the logs or smooth the surface.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Without opening the door, reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for additional 8-10 minutes until firm and golden brown. Turn off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon and continue to bake for about 30 minutes, until the center is just moist and the surface is crisp. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat bring the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons sugar, seeds from vanilla bean, vanilla bean and salt to boil. Stir occasionally.
2. In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch and remaining sugar together in a small bowl until smooth.
3. Gradually whisk one cup of the simmering hot half-and-half mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the simmering half-and-half mixture. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking whisking constantly until the pastry cream is thickened, about 30 seconds.
4. Remove from heat and discard vanilla bean. Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly to surface to prevent a film from forming on the top. Chill pastry cream until set, about 3 hours.

1. Microwave half-and-half and chocolate together in a microwave safe bowl, whisking occasionally until chocolate starts to melt about 30-45 seconds. Whisk in confectioner's sugar until smooth.

1. Using a sharp knife, cut along one side of the pastries to open up the shells. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a ¼ -inch plain tip with pastry cream and pipe the pastry cream into the shells. Chill pastries for about 30 minutes for glazing.
2. Spoon warm glaze evenly over the tops of the eclairs. Be sure to cover the holes. Sprinkle chopped pistachios. Let glaze set for about 20 minutes before serving.
3. Filled eclairs can rest at room temperature up to 4 hours before serving. Store refrigerated.