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Title: Cream Puffs / Eclairs
Categories: Dessert Pastry
Yield: 12 Servings
| CHOUX PASTE | ||
| 1/2 | c | Butter or margarine |
| 1 | c | Water |
| 1/4 | ts | Salt |
| 1 | c | All-purpose flour |
| 4 | Eggs | |
| VANILLA PASTRY CREAM | ||
| 3/4 | c | Sugar |
| 1/4 | c | All-purpose four |
| 1/4 | ts | Salt |
| 1 1/2 | c | Milk |
| 6 | Egg yolks | |
| 1 1/2 | ts | Vanilla extract |
| Or (for almond pastry cream) | ||
| 1 | ts | Almond extract |
| 1 1/2 | c | Heavy or whipping cream |
| SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE GLAZE | ||
| 2 | Squares semisweet chocolate | |
| 2 | tb | Butter |
| 1 | c | Confectioners' sugar |
| 3 | tb | Milk |
Choux Paste: Cream Puffs Grease 2 large cookie sheets. Prepare choux paste: In 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, heat butter, water and salt until butter mixture boils. Remove from heat. Add flour all at once. With wooden spoon, vigorously stir until mixture forms a ball and leaves side of pan. Preheat oven to 375 F. Add eggs to flour mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until smooth. Cool mixture slightly. Using large spoon and rubber spatula, drop batter onto cookie sheets in 12 large mounds, 3 inches apart, swirling top of each. Bake 50 minutes. Remove from oven; cut slit in side of each puff. Return to oven; bake 10 minutes. Turn off oven; dry puffs in oven 10 minutes. Cool. Prepare filling; cover and chill. When puffs are cool, slice top off each. Fill each shell with the chilled Vanilla or Almond pastry cream; replace top. Sprinkle tops of cream puffs with some confectioners' sugar. Eclairs: Preheat oven to 357 F. Make choux paste as for Cream Puffs above; drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart, and in rows 6 inches apart. to make 10. Spread each mound into rectangle, rounding edges. (Or use pastry bag) Bake 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut slit in side of each shell and bake 10 minutes longer. Turn off oven; dry shells in oven 10 minutes. Cool on rack. Prepare pastry cream and semisweet chocolate Glaze. Slice about 1/3 from top of each shell and fill bottom of shells with cream filling; replace tops and spread with glaze. Refrigerate until serving time. Pastry Cream: In 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt; stir in milk. Over med. heat, cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and boils, about 10 minutes; boil 1 minute. In small bowl with fork, beat 6 egg yolks slightly; beat small amount of milk mixture into yolks; slowly pour egg mixture back into milk mixture, stirring. Cook over medium low heat, stirring until mixture thickens and coats spoon well, about 8 minutes (do not boil). (To check thickness, lift metal spoon from mixture and hold up 15 seconds; spoon should not show through mixture.) Remove from heat; stir in flavoring (either vanilla or almond extract). Cover surface with plastic wrap; chill well, about 2 hours. In small bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat heavy or whipping cream until stiff peaks form. With rubber spatula, gently fold cream into custard. Semisweet Chocolate Glaze: In 1-quart saucepan over low heat, melt 2 squares semisweet chocolate and butter, stirring constantly. Stir in confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. From The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook
From: Dottie Theriault Date: 09-25-95 Recipes
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