Categories: pastry

Ingredients

• basic cream puff paste:
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter, cut in small pieces
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 5 eggs
• Vanilla Custard Cream Filling:
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 pkg. chocolate glaze

Directions

1. To make cream puff paste:

2. In heavy saucepan, combine water, butter, salt and sugar. Bring to boil. Remove pan from heat and add flour at once. Stir briskly with a wooden spoon until dough is smooth. Return pan to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until dough leaves sides of pan and forms a ball.
3. Remove pan from heat and add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each,
4. Attach a large plain tip to a pastry bag; spoon paste into bag. Fill with cream puff paste.
5. Press dough out into 12 four inch strips, 1 1/2 inches apart, on an ungreased large cookie sheet. OR you may spoon paste into finger-length strips.
6. Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) 40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool completely.

7. Make vanilla custard cream filling:

8. Combine flour and sugar in a medium-size saucepan. Stir in milk slowly.
9. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; lower heat. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, or until mixture is quite thick; remove from heat.
10. Beat egg yolks slightly in a medium-size bowl. Gradually beat in a bout 1 cup of the hot milk mixture. Pour all back into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute. remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Place a piece of wax paper directly on surface of filling to prevent a thick skin forming. Chill at least 2 hours.
11. To fill éclairs:
12. Make a small hole in the end of each éclair with a small knife. Fit pastry bag with plain tip, fill with vanilla custard cream. Press filling into éclairs. Or, you may split éclairs lengthwise, then spoon in filling.
13. Prepare chocolate glaze, following label directions; glaze tops. Garnish with whipped cream and pistachio nuts, if desired.

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