CREAM PUFF ECLAIR RECIPES

Steps:

• Make vanilla 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.
• Puffs:.
• Spray 1 or 2 large cookie sheets with nonstick spray. Heat oven to 375.
• In 2 qt saucepan over medium heat, heat butter, water and salt till butter mixture boils.
• Remove from heat.
• Add flour all at once. With a wooden spoon, vigorously stir until mixture forms a ball and leaves sides of pan.
• Add eggs to the flour mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition, till smooth.
• Cool mixture slightly.
• Using a large spoon and rubber spatula, drop batter onto cookie sheets int 12 large mounds, 3 inches apart, swirling the top of each.
• (for eclairs, instead of mounds, spread the choux paste into 5" by 3/4" rectangles).
• Bake 50 minutes (this is what the original recipe says - however, I NEVER bake them that long - more like 35 minutes - go by your own oven - if they're looking puffed and browned and dry, they're probably done).
• At this point, remove from oven, cut a small slit in the side of each puff and return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
• Turn off oven and let dry for 5-10 minutes (I don't usually do this and it doesn't seem to matter too much).
• When puffs are cool, slice top off of each - there will probably be some webby looking soft dough inside - carefully pull this out to make it hollow.
• Fill each shell with the chilled pastry cream.
• Replace top and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• For Eclairs:.
• Go through the same process, but top with semisweet chocolate glaze: In saucepan, melt 2 squares semisweet chocolate and 2 T butter, stirring constantly (or heat briefly in the microwave to melt) Stir in 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 T milk till smooth.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF(190ºC). Lightly grease a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan,bring 1 cup of water and margarine to a boil,uncovered,over medium-high heat-about 1 minute.
• In a small mixing bowl,combine all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Mix well and quickly add-all at once-to the boiling mixture.
• Stir well,using a wooden spoon,until mixture forms a ball around the spoon and doesn't cling to the sides of saucepan.
• Remove from the heat and let cool for 2 minutes,then add the eggs,one at a time,beating well after each addition,until the dough is smooth and glossy.
• To shape the cream puffs,drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet,spacing the puffs about 2-inches(5 cm) apart.
• To shape eclairs,shape the dough into narrow rectangles about 3½-inches(9 cm) long.
• Bake the puffs or eclairs in preheated oven for 10 minutes,then reduce heat to 350ºF(180ºC) and bake for additional 25 minutes or until the puffs are firm.
• Transfer homemade cream puffs and eclairs to wire racks and coll -about 1 hour.
• To fill,slice the puffs in half horizontally and spoon low-calorie filling into the bottoms and replace the tops.