How to make
Making the dough:
Put the water and oil in a container with a nonstick coating. Add the sugar and salt and once boiling, pour the flour (sifted with the vanilla beforehand) in all at once. Stir continuously until it forms a ball and starts to unstick from the walls of the container.
Leave the mixture to cool for 10 min. or until warm to the touch. Add the eggs 1 by 1, stirring very well after each. You need to obtain a smooth and sticky dough that feels heavy when you lift it.
Lay out baking paper in the oven tray. Put the dough in a pastry bag and pipe out eclairs 2 1/2″ (6 cm) long and about 1/2″ (1.5 cm) wide, arranging them with some space in between them. You can make them round using a teaspoon to shape them into walnut-sized balls.
Heat the oven to 360°F (180 °C). Put the eclairs to bake and after 10 min. lower the heat to 320°F (160 °C). Bake 30 min. until they gain a golden crisp. I baked with the fan on. Once you turn the oven off, leave the eclairs in it for 15 min., then take out.
Making the cream:
Dilute the flour with a little milk, while gradually adding a 2nd cup. Heat the rest of the milk with the sugar on the stove, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Beat the 2 eggs with a fork very well and mix with the flour.
Pour the mixture into the pot with the hot milk and boil a smooth cream, while stirring nonstop. Flavor with the vanilla and once thickened (check by scooping), turn off the the stove. While still hot, add the butter and stir to melt it. Cover the cream with a towel and leave to cool a bit.
Pierce the eclairs from one side and fill them with the cream using a pastry bag with a sharp tip. If it would be easier for you, you can cut them along the sides with a sharp knife and use a spoon to put the cream.
Making the glaze:
Put 5-6 tbsp powdered sugar to caramelize with 1 tsp water in a small pot on the stove. Stir until the sugar melts. Once you obtain a smooth caramel, add 1/2 cup milk and another 1 tbsp powdered sugar. Stir nonstop on low heat until smooth.
If the milk boils off and the glaze seems thick, pour in a little more milk. Stir and once the mixture melts you need to obtain a caramel glaze thicker than porridge. Smear the eclairs with it using a brush, while still hot. Sprinkle with ground almonds (optional).
