Cream Puffs or Eclairs With Vanilla Pastry Cream

Ingredients

Choux Paste

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs

Vanilla Pastry Cream

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

semisweet chocolate glaze (or just dust with powdered sugar)

• 2 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. 1

   Make vanilla pastry cream:.

2. 2

   In 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt; stir in milk.

3. 3

   Over medium heat, cook, stirring until mixture thickens and boils, about 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Boil 1 minute.

5. 5

   In a small bowl with fork, beat 6 egg yolks slightly.

6. 6

   Beat small amount of heated milk mixture into yolks.

7. 7

   Slowly pour egg mixture back into milk mixture, stirring.

8. 8

   Cook over medium low heat, stirring till mixture thickens and coats spoon well, about 8 minutes (do not boil).

9. 9

   To check thickness, lift metal spoon from mixture and hold up 15 seconds - spoon should not show through mixture.

10. 10

    Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

11. 11

    At this point I usually put this custard through a strainer to get out any lumpy cooked egg pieces.

12. 12

    Cover surface with plastic wrap, and chill well, about 2 hours.

13. 13

    When custard is cool, in a small bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat heavy/whipping cream till stiff peaks form.

14. 14

    With a rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into custard.

15. 15

    Puffs:.

16. 16

    Spray 1 or 2 large cookie sheets with nonstick spray. Heat oven to 375.

17. 17

    In 2 qt saucepan over medium heat, heat butter, water and salt till butter mixture boils.

18. 18

    Remove from heat.

19. 19

    Add flour all at once. With a wooden spoon, vigorously stir until mixture forms a ball and leaves sides of pan.

20. 20

    Add eggs to the flour mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition, till smooth.

21. 21

    Cool mixture slightly.

22. 22

    Using a large spoon and rubber spatula, drop batter onto cookie sheets int 12 large mounds, 3 inches apart, swirling the top of each.

23. 23

    (for eclairs, instead of mounds, spread the choux paste into 5" by 3/4" rectangles).

24. 24

    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).

25. 25

    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.

26. 26

    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).

27. 27

    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.

28. 28

    Fill each shell with the chilled pastry cream.

29. 29

    Replace top and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

30. 30

    For Eclairs:.

31. 31

    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.