Eclairs

Ok. Seriously. This has got to be the last baking post for the next little bit or I'll weigh exactly 8,932 pounds by the end of the month. The next post will be something healthy, I promise.

However, since we're on this post...these are delicious and quite easy to make. The hardest part is filling them. It's much easier to just cut the tops off and spoon the filling in, but they look prettier if you pipe them in with a cake decorator. The only problem with that is the filling is thick so it's hard to get it out of the tiny little tip. You can fill these with any flavor filling you want. Chocolate cheesecake is great, and I think fresh raspberries and whipped cream would be good too. This time I stuck with the classic vanilla filling.

Eclairs (makes 20 - 24 mini eclairs)

Pastry
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup water
dash salt
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs

Filling
1 small package french vanilla instant pudding
1 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tb. powdered sugar

Chocolate Frosting
4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate (you can use milk chocolate if you want it sweeter)
2 Tb. whipping cream
2 Tb. powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In medium pot boil water, butter, and salt until mixture reaches a rolling boil. Add flour and stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat.
3. Immediately add eggs and beat with electric mixer until mixture is well combined and smooth.
4. Spoon mixture into a quart size ziploc bag. Cut off one of the corners of the bag and squeeze dough into 2" long pieces on ungreased baking sheet, leaving 2" between each eclair.
5. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool 3 minutes, then remove to cooling rack and cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, prepare filling by mixing one cup whipping cream, vanilla, and 3 Tb. powdered sugar in large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. In small bowl combine pudding and millk and mix until well blended and no longer lumpy. Fold into whipped cream.
7. Pipe or spoon filling into completely cooled eclairs, making sure to fill the eclairs completely (they should bulge just a little so you know they are full).
8. Heat chocolate and 2 Tb. whipping cream in microwave on high for 30 - 45 seconds or until cream boils. Stir until chocolate is melted (do not put back in the microwave as chocolate will burn). Add powdered sugar. If needed, add water until frosting reaches desired consistency. Put frosting into sandwich sized ziploc bag, cut off corner, and pipe over eclairs.
9. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days.