Chocolate Eclairs

What is my problem?

Who just decides to make eclairs on a random day?

I do! 

Pâte à Choux--fancy word for pastry dough

I had absolutely no social engagement to take these to---I just wanted to try and see if I could make them.

So, I looked for a recipe, bought some of the ingredients that I was missing and went to work.

It was rainy and dreary this past Sunday and I couldn't be happier baking these eclairs in my cozy apartment while listening to my newly rediscovered Spice Girls "SPICEWORLD" CD.

Ch'yea.

The pastry cream was delicious! Almost ate it all before I filled the eclairs.

Anyways, these eclairs are  not difficult at all to make--only time consuming.

You have to make the pastry and then bake the pastry. Cook the pudding, then chill the pudding. Fill the pastry then dip the pastry (in chocolate) ---all in the name of chocolate eclairs, but THEY ARE WORTH IT.

I was really happy with the way they turned out--too happy.

That could be dangerous for me, so I took the majority of them to work to get them out of my place.

I'm so nice.

I got the recipe from a great blog, Cupcakes with Sprinkles . I followed it exactly except that I added vanilla beans to the pastry cream.

All in all, these chocolate eclairs are superb!

Drizzled some with white chocolate!

Recipe--As seen on Cupcakes with Sprinkles Blog

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.