Christmas wreath eclairs recipe

• 50 g (1.8oz) unsalted butter, softened, in pieces, plus more for the trays (optional)
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 0.5 tsp caster sugar
• 80 g (2.8oz) plain flour, sifted
• 2 eggs
• 150 g (5.3oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 250 ml (8.8fl oz) double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 150 g (5.3oz) icing sugar
• 3 tsp cocoa
• 1 tsp liquid glucose
• 1 pot tiny gold edible stars

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/425F/gas mark 7.
2. Line two baking trays with baking parchment, or butter two trays well.
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.
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.
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.
6. Cool for three or four minutes.
7. Set one egg aside, place in a bowl and break it up with a fork.
8. Crack the other egg into the mixture and beat it in.
9. Gradually add the remaining egg, beating hard after each addition.
10. You may not need it all.
11. The dough will become shiny and fall from the spoon.
12. Spoon it into the piping bag, and pipe six 10cm diameter circles on the baking trays.
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.
14. Slit the side of each and leave to cool.
15. For the filling, whip the cream to soft peaks, then add the vanilla and icing sugar.
16. Split the eclairs in half and pipe in the cream.
17. For the dark icing, place a heatproof bowl over simmering water; the bowl should not touch the water.
18. Place the chocolate, 2 tbsp of water and the butter in the bowl and melt.
19. Sift in the icing sugar, mix and cool slightly.
20. For the lighter icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl.
21. Stir in 45 tsp of water and the liquid glucose, aiming for the consistency of double cream.
22. Spread your choice of icing over the eclairs, allow it to set slightly and finally sprinkle with stars.

unsalted butter, salt, sugar, flour, eggs, chocolate, butter, icing sugar, cream, vanilla, icing sugar, icing sugar, cocoa, glucose

Taken from www.lovefood.com/guide/recipes/23112/christmas-wreath-clairs-recipe (may not work)