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Chocolate Éclairs for Spring




Source of Recipe


Ms. Eganie


List of Ingredients




Éclairs (can be halved):
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt (can omit if using salted margarine or butter)
1 cup water, boiling, in saucepan
4 eggs, room temperature

Cream filling (can be halved):
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 3/4 cup boiling milk, then cooled to very hot, in saucepan (skim top if needed)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Chocolate sauce (can be halved):
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla


Recipe



Place the butter into the boiling water, return pan to stove and stir while the water is hot.

Add the salt (if using) to the flour, then add all the flour to the boiling water and stir rapidly until butter/water/flour becomes smooth and makes a nice ball, pulling away from pan. Remove from heat. Do not overcook.

Cool mixture for several minutes so that the eggs will not cook as they are added. When cooler (but still warm), add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg is added. The mixture should be smooth.

Pipe or shape éclairs onto greased cookie sheets, using about a Tablespoon of batter for each, leaving room for them to expand (about 2 inches for theses smaller éclairs, 3 inches if making larger éclairs).

Bake in 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes for smaller éclairs, 35-40 minutes if making larger ones. They should be puffed and golden.

Cool completely. Slice off tops, making pretty much equal top and bottom halves. Add cream filling (see below), replace tops, drizzle with the chocolate sauce (see below).

(A quick shortcut: fill with chocolate ice cream, French vanilla ice cream, or coconut ice cream, then drizzle with the chocolate sauce. --Ed.)

You may wish to refrigerate for a few hours (not much more) before serving, to ensure melding the puffs with the cream filling.

For the cream filling:
Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks and continue beating for two to three minutes until the mixture is pale yellow and forms a ribbon when the spoon is lifted.
Gradually add the hot milk, very carefully, in tiny steady amounts, to the yolk mixture, while beating.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, set over medium-low heat, and stir to make a thickened custard, being careful not to overheat. It should coat the spoon in a nice, light, creamy layer.
Remove from heat, beat the sauce to thicken it a bit, then cool.

For the chocolate sauce:
In a saucepan, over medium heat (no hotter) melt the butter and evaporated milk with the chocolate.
Stir to make smooth, adding the sugar, then keep stirring and add the vanilla. If it "seizes" return to heat and add a bit of butter, stirring smooth again.



YIELD: 12 éclairs or cream puffs (recipe can be halved easily)