Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, combine water (1 cup) and butter. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan. This is the panade.

Dough forms a ball and cleans the sides of the pan.

Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes, until a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan.

A slight film coats the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Let it cool slightly for 5 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. The dough should be smooth and pipeable.

Dough is smooth, glossy, and slowly falls from the spoon.

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.

Pipe 4-inch long strips of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Evenly sized strips with pointed ends.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed up.

Eclairs are golden brown and firm to the touch.

Turn off the oven, crack the oven door open slightly, and let the eclairs cool completely in the oven. This prevents them from collapsing.

While the eclairs are cooling, make the cream filling. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream (1 cup)heavy cream (2 tbsp) with powdered sugar (¼ cups) and vanilla extract (1 tsp) until stiff peaks form.

Cream holds its shape when the whisk is lifted.

Make the chocolate (½ cups) glaze. Heat the chocolate and cream in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.

Chocolate is smooth and glossy.

Once the eclairs are completely cool, use a serrated knife to slice them in half lengthwise. Fill the bottom halves with the whipped cream.

Drizzle the tops of the eclairs with the chocolate (½ cups) glaze. Let the glaze set slightly before serving.