Chocolate Frosted Eclairs Recipe

How to make it

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• Preheat the oven to 400°
• In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil over moderate heat
• Remove the pan from the heat
• Add the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes, until the dough comes together and a film forms on the bottom of the pan
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl and beat at medium speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute
• Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition
• Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1-inch round tip
• Pipe twelve 5-inch-long logs onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes
• Turn the oven down to 325° and bake the shells for 30 minutes longer, or until golden brown
• Transfer to a rack and let cool.
• Pastry Cream
• In 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt; stir in milk.
• Over medium heat, cook, stirring until mixture thickens and boils, about 10 minutes.
• Boil 1 minute.
• In a small bowl with fork, beat 6 egg yolks slightly.
• Beat small amount of heated milk mixture into yolks.
• Slowly pour egg mixture back into milk mixture, stirring.
• Cook over medium low heat, stirring till 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 vanilla.
• At this point I usually put this custard through a strainer to get out any lumpy cooked egg pieces.
• Cover surface with plastic wrap, and chill well, about 2 hours.
• When custard is cool, in a small bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat heavy/whipping cream till stiff peaks form.
• With a rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into custard.
• Chocolate Topping
• In a bowl, melt chocolate in a microwave oven
• Whisk in the butter until smooth
• With a serrated knife, split the eclair shells lengthwise
• Spoon a generous amount of the pastry cream into the bottom half of each shell
• Dip the top half of each shell into the chocolate glaze, close the eclairs and serve