Eclairs

As promised, the following is my eclair recipe.

Shells:
Bring 1 cup water to a boil. When it begins to boil, add 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, stir and cut into pieces quickly until it is melted. Immediately add 1 cup flour mixed with 1/2 tsp salt and stir vigorously until it forms a ball. Reduce heat and cook for about a minute until it is uniform. Remove from heat. Beat in 4-5 eggs one at a time (I use the same pan). Beat well after each egg is added. The mixture should be smooth and glossy, more or less the consistency of frosting. Put into a pastry bag without a tip and pipe onto well-greased cookie sheets. For small eclairs, pipe a strip about 1" wide and 3 inches long, for larger eclairs, make them a little longer and wider. Baks at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown and slighly dry. Do not open the oven during the baking.



Let these cool, then slice open the top and take out the eggy filling.



Filling:

Combine 2/3 cup sugar, 3 T cornstarch and 1/8 tsp salt in saucepan. Gradually add 2 cups milk, make sure it is smooth. Cook at med-high heat until it thickens and begins to boil. (make sure to stir so it doesn't scorch - if it does, start over) Stir quickly while it boils, reducing heat as necessary for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. In small bowl whip 3 egg yolks with a fork, (do this ahead of time so your pudding isn't waiting) then add a small portion of the hot pudding mixture to the egg yolks, to incorporate. Immediately stir the egg yolk mixture into the hot pudding. Cook again over medium heat for 2 minutes. (It should be thick) Remove from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla and 2 Tbls butter. Put pan in refrigerator with wax paper over the pudding and cool overnight. The pudding should be very thick. In the morning use a whisk to whip it up a little. Whip 1 cup cream until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the pudding until well incorporated. Fill eclairs with pudding. Put tops back on eclairs and frost with chocolate frosting.

Chocolate frosting:

Combine 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa in saucepan and melt. Add three cups powdered sugar and beat in enough hot water until it is desired consistency. It shouldn't be so thick you can see your knife marks, not so runny it is watery. Frost eclairs, top with drizzled white chocolate, sprinkles, frosting flowers, etc.

Good luck!