Chocolate eclairs with dulce de leche and caramel smelts

Put the unopened can of condensed milk in a pan and add so much water that the can is underneath.

Bring the water to a boil and cook on low heat for 2 hours with the lid on the pan. The milk will now caramelize.

Check occasionally if there is enough water in the pan. Add warm water otherwise. Take the can out of the pan and let it cool for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 ° C.

Sift the flour over a bowl. Put the butter, salt and water in a pan and let the butter melt over low heat.

When the butter has melted, turn the heat medium. When the water boils, add the flour in 1 time.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir firmly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will first be sticky, but then turn into a firm dough.

Put the pan back on low heat and keep stirring until a shiny dough ball is created that easily comes off the pan.

Put the dough ball in a mixing bowl and let it cool down until lukewarm.

Beat the eggs and cocoa with a fork. Pour into a can.

Add a dash of egg to the dough and mix with a wooden spoon.

The dough must shine and be strong enough to retain a shape. The last bit of egg may not be necessary because the dough will then become too weak.

Put the dough into the piping bag and spray 10 cm long stripes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Ensure sufficient distance (approx. 5 cm) in between.

Bake the eclairs in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking.

Lower the oven temperature to 180 ° C. Open the oven door for a moment to allow steam to escape.

Bake the eclairs for about 15 minutes. Then let them cool completely on a rack.

Meanwhile, crush the meringuettes.

Halve the eclairs and brush each bottom (bottom cut) with 1 tbsp of the dulce de leche (cooled milk).

Put the mascarpone in the piping bag and spread in bread rolls over the dulce de leche.

Spread the tops of the eclairs each with 1 tbsp of the dulce de leche and put on the mascarpone. Sprinkle the crumbled meringuettes over it.

Serve within 2 hours.