Pastel Iced Eclairs

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 179C/150C fan forced and line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Step 2: Sift your flour on to a separate sheet of baking paper, so it is ready to quickly top into the pan in one go.

Step 3: Put the water, butter, caster sugar and salt into a medium saucepan over a high heat and once it has just reach boiling point, remove from the heat and chute the flour into the pan in one quick movement and using a wooden spoon, quickly beat the mixture until it is completely smooth, which takes vigorous arm action.

Step 4: Return the pan to a medium heat and cook your dough for just 1 minute, beating the mixture until it dries a little bit and clumps together, almost cleaning the sides of the pan.

Step 5: Remove from the heat again and gradually add in the eggs, beating all the time until you have a smooth dough (be careful your mixture isn't too hot as this will create scrambled eggs! (not so yum); it will look strange and floppy for a while, but keep beating and it will come together.

Step 6: Spoon your warm dough into a large piping bag for about 5 minutes and using steady pressure, pipe 12 oblong shapes on to the lined tray to create 12 eclairs, each about 12cm long and be sure to leave plenty of space around each one because they grow quite a lot in the oven and pop into the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden.

Step 7: Remove from the oven and leave to cool down and once cooled, cut in half ready to fill with the cream.

Step 8: To make the Chantilly cream filling sift and icing sugar into the cream in a bowl and whisk until forms soft peaks and be careful not to over-whip it and then transfer cream to a piping bag fitted with a thick nozzle or cut a hole in the end of your piping bag.

Step 9: Gently pipe the cream along the bottom part of each éclair and place the top half over the cream.

Step 10: Make the glaze by mixing the icing sugar with a little hot water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you have it thick, a spreadable consistency, if it does get too thin, add some more icing sugar.

Step 11: For different colour, divide the icing between small bowls and stir in 1 to 2 drops of gel food colouring.

Step 12: Place the cooled filled eclairs on a wire rack and spoon the glaze over the top of each and let the glaze set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving and if you are feeling adventurous or particularly creative you can add edible flowers, sprinkles, sugar or edible gold leaf to make them look even more adorable.

Step 13: Essential equipment, piping bags and a large 1.4cm) nozzle.