Heavy Cream Filling For Eclairs Cream Puffs Recipes

CREAM PUFFS II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• In medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add butter and stir as it melts, then return to a boil. Add flour and salt all at once and stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each until smooth. Drop by heaping tablespoons, 3 inches apart, on a cookie sheet.
• Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven then reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake 25 minutes more. Remove puffs from oven, split and remove soft dough from center. Turn oven off, and replace puffs to dry in cooling oven, 20 minutes more. Cool completely on wire rack.
• In medium bowl, whip cream with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla and sugar. Fill puffs with whipped cream. Melt chocolate chips in microwave or slowly over low heat. Drizzle melted chocolate over tops of cream puffs. Serve immediately.

CREAM PUFFS OR ECLAIRS WITH VANILLA PASTRY CREAM

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.

ECLAIRS II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
• In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts completely. Reduce heat to low, and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and begins to form a stiff ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely after each addition. With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a No. 10, or larger, tip, spoon or pipe dough onto cookie sheet in 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips.
• Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake 20 minutes more, until hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the filling, combine pudding mix and milk in medium bowl according to package directions. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold whipped cream into pudding. Cut tops off of cooled pastry shells with a sharp knife. Fill shells with pudding mixture and replace tops.
• For the icing, melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth and has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and drizzle over filled eclairs. Refrigerate until serving.

EASY CREAM PUFFS WITH VANILLA FILLING

Steps:

• For the puffs: Preheat oven to 400.
• Heat water and butter to a rolling boil in a medium sized saucepan. Turn heat down to low, and stir in flour with wooden spoon. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball.
• Remove from heat, and either place mixture into stand mixer or have a hand mixer ready. Add eggs all at one time, and beat everything together until smooth and shiny.
• Drop dough by scant 1/4 cup 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake 35-40 minutes until puffed and golden brown. (Do not pull out too early or they will "fall." It is better to slightly overbake than to underbake!).
• Remove from oven, and cool to room temperature.
• For the filling: While the puffs are baking, in a medium to large mixer bowl, blend pudding with milk until all lumps are gone on low speed.
• Add whipping cream, and beat on medium speed for two minutes or until soft to semi-firm peaks form. Refrigerate mixture until puffs are ready to be filled.
• For the icing: Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in small saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in confectioner's sugar and about 2 tablespoons of hot water (more or less). Beat until smooth. Consistency should be able to "drizzle.".
• Assembly: Either cut tops off completely, or cut to the back to leave a "hinge." Fill puffs with pudding mix, replace tops, then drizzle with chocolate icing. Refrigerate until serving time. Best served day of.