Chocolate Eclairs Recipes

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the water and bring to the boil.
• Remove from the heat and quickly add the sifted flour and salt and beat well.
• Heat again until the mixture leaves the side of the pan.
• Allow the mixture to cool for a few moments before adding the first egg.
• Beat this well into the mixture and then add the other two eggs one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon.
• Make sure the mixture is soft by shaking some off a spoon, it will fall softly and leave some on the spoon.
• Eclairs: Put the choux pastry in a biscuit forcer or something similar with a 1/2 inch or 1 inch plain forcer.
• Force out 1/2 inches of mixture on a lightly greased tray.
• Bake in a moderate over[350F] for 35-40 minutes.
• Ice with chocolate icing when cold, and fill with whipped cream.

Steps:

• Start by making the custard filling. Heat the milk until almost boiling in a saucepan. Meanwhile, mix together the sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in a bowl, then stir in the flours, a couple of tsp at a time, to a smooth paste.
• Gradually whisk in the hot milk, pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over a high heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 mins until thick - it will go alarmingly lumpy but don't worry, just keep stirring it vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth
• Lay a sheet of cling film directly on the custard surface, then cool and chill until you're ready to fill the buns.
• To make the choux buns, heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Sift the flour with the sugar and a pinch of salt into a small bowl. Put the milk and butter into a medium saucepan with 125ml water and gently heat so the butter melts but the liquid doesn't bubble.
• Once the butter has completely melted, increase the heat until the liquid comes to a fast rolling boil. Immediately turn off the heat, tip in the sifted flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until you a have a smooth dough that comes away from the sides of the pan. Spread over a large dinner plate to cool to hand temperature.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes, then gradually add the eggs, mixing well between each addition until the mixture reluctantly drops off the spoon. Don't add all the egg unless you need to.
• Cut two large sheets of baking parchment. On each one draw two sets of 'track' lines with a 10cm gap - these will be your guidelines so your eclairs will all be roughly the same size. Use the paper to line two large baking sheets - penside down.
• Spoon your choux mixture into a piping bag with a 1cm star or round wide nozzle, or into a disposable piping bag with a similar-size hole snipped off for piping. Pipe two rows of well-spaced, squashed 'S' shapes on each sheet between the guidelines. Bake, one tray at a time, on a high-ish shelf for 25 mins, reducing temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 as soon as they go in the oven.
• After 25 mins, poke a hole in the end of each bun, or using a small serrated knife, split down the middle and return to the oven, upside-down, to dry out for 5 mins until crisp and golden. Set aside to cool.
• While the buns are cooling, finish your filling. Whisk the cream until thick, then use your electric whisk to beat the cooled, set custard until just smooth again. Fold in the cream. Spoon your filling into a piping bag - use a small nozzle if you're filling the buns through the holes you've pierced, or a large nozzle if you've split the buns in half. Carefully pipe the custard into each cooled bun - they should feel heavy once full.
• To make the icing, melt 100g plain chocolate and 25g butter together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in 75ml double cream and 1 tbsp sifted icing sugar. Once cooled a little, spread over the tops of the buns and leave to cool.

Steps:

• Mix together vanilla pudding mix and milk.
• Fold in whipped topping.
• Line 9 x 13 pan with one layer of graham crackers.
• Put half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers.
• Place a second layer of graham crackers over the pudding mixture.
• Put the remaining pudding mixture over the graham crackers.
• Place a third layer of graham crackers over the pudding mixture.
• Heat the tub of frosting in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften. (Don't forget to remove the foil seal or you'll get fireworks).
• Spread frosting on the top of the last layer of graham crackers.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let set a couple hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Cut in squares.

Steps:

• Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.
• Pastry: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, add 3 eggs, 1 egg at a time. Stop mixing after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining 1 egg and mix until incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe fat lengths of dough (about the size and shape of a jumbo hot dog) onto the lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between them. You should have 8 to 10 lengths.
• Egg Wash: In a bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Brush the surface of each eclair with the egg wash. Use your fingers to smooth out any bumps of points of dough that remain on the surface. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet. 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 just use your fingertip). Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size plain tip, gently pipe the custard into the eclairs, using only just enough to fill the inside (don't stuff them full).
• Glaze: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils. Immediately turn off the heat. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm. The glaze can be made up to 48 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, and rewarm in a microwave or over hot water when ready to use.
• Dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm chocolate glaze and set on a sheet pan. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour to set the glaze. Serve chilled.

Steps:

• Pate a Choux: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring salt, water, and butter to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until it forms a film on the bottom of the pot. Cool mixture and add eggs 1 at a time until completely incorporated. Pipe 5 to 6 inch rods of the mixture onto a lightly greased sheet pan. Bake for 17 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees for 15 more minutes.
• Pastry Cream: Scald milk with 3/4-cup sugar and salt. Whisk yolks and remaining 3/4-cup sugar until pale and ribboning. Whisk in flour and cornstarch. Slowly, while whisking, pour in scalded milk. Return all to stove and stir with wooden spoon until thick and 1 or 2 bubbles form. Put mixture in a bowl and add vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• Ganache: Melt chocolate and butter together over low heat, stirring constantly.
• Using a paring knife, poke a hole into 1 end of each eclair shell. Put a small open tip on a pastry bag and fill bag with cream. Squirt cream into each shell until eclairs feel heavy. Dip top of each filled eclair into chocolate ganache. Serve cold or at room temperature.