Eclairs With Tahitian Vanilla And Caramelized Nuts

Prepare the choux pastry : Break 2 eggs into a bowl. Beat them lightly.  

Melt water, 1,8 oz of butter, cut into pieces, and a pinch of salt, in a small saucepan.  

Remove from the heat and add 2,6 oz of flour all at once. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes off the sides. Gradually add the beaten eggs.

Fill the piping bag with the mixture. Pipe éclairs on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  

Bake for about 12 minutes at 425°F, then for 5 minutes in the oven with the door kept ajar with a wooden spoon.  

Prepare the vanilla crème pâtissière : Slice the vanilla pod in two, lengthwise, and remove the pulp.

Heat 17 fl oz of milk in a saucepan with the vanilla pulp. Meanwhile, whisk 6 egg yolks with 3,5 oz of sugar. Incorporate 1,8 oz of flour.  

Pour half of the boiling milk over the eggs while whisking. Return this to the saucepan, stirring all the while. Allow to boil, still stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer the cream to a bowl and leave to cool, covering with cling film.

Prepare the icing: in a bowl, mix 7 oz of icing sugar into an egg white. Heat the bowl in a bain-marie while stirring.  

Assembly. Pierce the ends of the éclairs. Fill them with crème pâtissière using a piping bag. Spread the icing on top using a brush. Immediately top with a few nuts.