Our Famous Eclairs

This is a recipe handed down to me from my mother-in-law. My husband and I LOVE to make these together! He makes the puffs while I make the filling and the frosting. A cookie press makes this recipe much easier! We use it to press out the puffs onto the cookie sheet, as well as to fill the puffs AND to frost them! We always get rave reviews when we bring this dessert to a gathering, and it is the first to go! (Note: You WILL have extra filling)!

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 35
• Yields: 35 mini eclairs

Ingredients

• Frosting

• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 3  tablespoons milk
• 2  cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 4  ounces  baker's chocolate

• Filling

• 1  pint  whipping cream
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  cup powdered sugar
• 3 1⁄2 ounces French vanilla instant pudding (2 small packages)
• 2  cups milk

• Puffs

• 3⁄4 cup butter
• 1 1⁄2 cups water
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 6  eggs

Directions

1. Frosting:.
2. Mix butter, vanilla, and milk — gradually add sugar until spreading consistency.
3. Filling.
4. Whip cream until stiff, gradually adding vanilla and powdered sugar.
5. Mix pudding and milk, let set until thick.
6. Fold pudding and whipping cream together.
7. Puffs:.
8. Preheat oven to 400oF.
9. Heat water salt and butter to boiling. Continue boiling until butter is melted.
10. Add flour all at once and whip in pan with wooden spoon. Mixture will form ball in middle of pan.
11. Cool for about 5 minutes stirring to cool faster.
12. Add eggs one at a time whipping with wooden spoon well after each. [or put mixture in Kitchen Aid and eggs individually, beating after each].
13. Put mixture into pastry bag and pipe out eclair shapes about 2 inches long and 2 inches apart on GREASED baking sheet.
14. Bake at 400 for about 25 minutes or until lightly brown. Fill with filling and frost with frosting. Refrigerate.