Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Chocolate Eclairs

For Easter dinner I was assigned to make 2 desserts, so I decided on a chocolate cheesecake and a banana cream pie. Saturday I made the cheesecake, then the pie, and at the last minute I thought, chocolate cheesecake isn't a very Eastery dessert so I made these eclairs. Just before we left for dinner, I cut a slice of the pie and the custard poured right out. It didn't set. I was not happy, but I was really glad I made these eclairs because they turned out great and I got rave reviews! 

I am going to share the eclairs today and later in the week the cheesecake. And when I make that silly pie again, hopefully I can figure out the problem, and share that with you too because for the mess that it was, it sure tasted good.

These eclairs aren't difficult to make at all. They do take some time but are worth the result!


Pastry
Recipe Adapted From: FoodNetwork.com

1 cup Water
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Sugar
1 cup Flour
4 Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

2. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a spoon, add the flour and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.

3. Scrape the mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or you can use a hand mixer. Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, add the 4 eggs, 1 at a time. Stop mixing after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough will be thick, but should fall slowly from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl.

4. Use a Ziploc bag and cut a hole in the corner, pipe fat lengths of dough approx. 4" by 1 1/2" onto the lined baking sheet, leave about 2 inches of space between them. Use your fingers to smooth out any bumps of dough that remain on the surface. Bake for 35 minutes. Don't open the oven door too often during baking. Let cool on the baking sheet. 

5. Fit a medium-size plain pastry tip over your index finger and use it to make a hole in the end of each eclair (or you can just use your fingertip). Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size tip, gently pipe the custard into the eclairs, using only just enough to fill the inside, don’t stuff them full.

Vanilla Pudding
Recipe Source: BarbaraBakes.com

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Whole Milk
3 Egg Yolks, beaten
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 1/4 teaspoons Vanilla

1. In a saucepan combine the sugar, flour and salt. Gently stir in the milk. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil. Cook for 2 minutes.

2. Remove saucepan from burner. Stir in a third of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook for 2 more minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. 

3. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap placing it directly on the pudding so a film doesn't develop. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours.

Pastry Cream
Recipe Source: BarbaraBakes.com

Vanilla Pudding (above)
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

When the vanilla pudding is chilled, whip the cream to form soft peaks and gently fold it into the vanilla pudding. Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

Chocolate Frosting
Recipe Source: Taste of Home
2 oz Semisweet Chocolate
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 1/4 cups Powdered Sugar
3 Tablespoons Hot Water

Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave, stir until smooth. Stir in sugar and add water to make it smooth. Dip eclairs in chocolate.

I linked this recipe at  
Full Plate Thursday 
Made it on Monday
Sweets for a Saturday

16 comments:

  1. I've been really wanting to make eclairs--yours look great! And, I like how the pudding seems to be more like a custard which is always a selling point for me. :)

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  2. I used to eat these all the time as a kid. I love choux pastry and mixed with vanilla custard is presidential :)Yours look awesome!!

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  3. So tasty. I've never tried making my own eclairs!

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  4. I've always wanted to make these. Everything homemade is better.

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  5. Thanks for your post on my site (katrinaskitchen35.blogspot.com). What a cute blog you have! All these treats look so yummy, I'll have to figure out how to make them without refined sugar. :)

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  6. Those eclairs look pastry perfect and that chocolate glaze would be so yummy.

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  7. I saw these linked over at Full Plate Thursday. My fiancee and I LOVED eclairs! I tried to make some once and they tasted delish but didn't look so good. I am your newest follower :)

    Check out my blog and follow back if you like!

    http://steaknpotatoeskindagurl.blogspot.com

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  8. Oh I love these, I am pretty sure I could eat a whole batch.

    I would like to invite you to join in on "Made it on Monday"..A WEEKLY RECIPE LINK PARTY I host on my blog.

    http://larkscountryheart.blogspot.com/

    *Link ups are open every WED.-SAT.*

    I hope you will join in on the fun!

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  9. Oh I am so happy to see you linked up to Made it on Monday. :)
    I hope you will visit often.

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  10. Oh Meghan,
    Girl,why can't I just reach through this screen and have one of those wonderful Eclairs, sigh. I will just have to make them myself and I will, what a great recipe! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you next week!

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  11. Saw these on Lark's Link up..............YUM YUM! Can you come over and make me some!!

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  12. Congratulations Meghan,
    You are featured on Full Plate Thursday this week, enjoy!
    Miz Helen

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  13. Beautiful job on the eclairs, they look perfect;-)

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