Winning Chocolate Éclairs with Vanilla Pudding!

I feel that these exquisite chocolate éclairs speak for themselves and nothing I can say with words could enhance their dazzling beauty or nor mouth-watering taste.  Some things you just have to experience for yourself!

Warm vanilla pudding, a tender buttery shell, drizzled with chocolate ganache syrup.

Bake...Indulge...Experience...

From one hearty appletite to another...happy cooking!

Chocolate Éclairs Recipe
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 12th edition

Pastry Shells
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 eggs

In a medium saucepan combine water and butter.  Bring to boiling.  Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously.  Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball.  Remove from heat.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition.

Drop 12 heaping tablespoons of dough onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake in a 400 F oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden.  Transfer cream puffs to a wire rack; cool.

Cut tops from puffs; fill with vanilla pudding.

Vanilla Pudding
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 cups milk
4 beaten egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a medium heavy saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch.  Stir in milk.  Cook and stir mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes more,  Remove pan from heat.  Gradually stir 1 cup of milk mixture into egg holks.  Add egg mixture to milk mixture in pan.  Bring milk mixture to a gentle boil; reduce heat.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

Remove from heat.  Stir in butter and vanilla.  Pour pudding into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Serve warm or cold.

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar

Melt chocolate and sugar with milk over a double-boiler until dissolved.  Drizzle over the assembled pastry puffs.

Note:  For cream puffs, skip the chocolate genache and dust with powdered sugar.