Best Cream Puffs Eclairs Recipes

CHOUX PASTRY (FOR CREAM PUFFS, ECLAIRS, ETC)

Steps:

• Chop butter, melt in water and just bring to boiling. Immediately add flour, and mix well with wooden spoon, until it forms a dough that leaves the side of the pan (it looks really gross and clumpy at first, but as you keep stirring it fixes itself). Remove from heat and cool 2 minutes.
• For a sweet pastry, add the sugar to the beaten eggs. Stir in the eggs, mixing until it look like dough again (this is gross at first too).
• Now you have many choices: using a pastry bag or spoon, shape the dough as desired (for puffs: use a spoon or pipe a mound, eclairs: pipe a line, rings: pipe a circle, profiteroles: pipe a mound w/star tip) onto a greased cookie sheet. Keep in mind that it will grow to aprox 3xs its size when done.
• Bake at 425 'til it looks crisp and golden, about 30 mins for half dollar sized puffs. Cut in half, or cut a slit in the side to let the steam escape- if you don't do this fairly quickly they get soggy inside.
• They save for a while in tupperware, unless they're filled. You are supposed to fill them with freshly whipped cream that has a touch of powdered sugar and vanilla or almond added in, but I just fill them with buttercream frosting because its cheaper and tastes pretty good too.

CHOUX PASTRY- FOR PROFITEROLES, CREAM PUFFS OR ECLAIRS

Steps:

• Place the butter and the water in a saucepan. Bring the water to the boil and stir until the butter has melted. Remove from the stove.
• Stir in the sifted flour. Add the flour all at once. Beat until smoth.
• Return to the heat, and stir vigourously until the mixture leaves the sides of the saucepan and forms a smooth ball.
• Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
• Whisk the eggs well and then add them to the choux ball. Beat the eggs into the mixture.
• Use a piping bag to pipe 7-10 cm lengths for eclairs, or place in spoonfuls onto greased cookie trays for cream puffs or profiteroles or pipe into dotted shapes for uniformly shaped profiteroles.
• Bake in a hot oven - 220°C for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 200°C and continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
• Turn the oven off.
• Remove from the oven and immediately make a small slit in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape. Return to the oven for a few minutes to help dry them out. The oven has already been turned off.

WHIPPED EGG WHITES FOR ECLAIRS & CREAM PUFFS 101

Steps:

• 1. After making sure ALL instruments are free from oils saperate egg whites (one at a time) and put in mixing bowl.
• 2. At medium speed beat until Frothy Add salt
• 3. Add cream of tarter while still mixing,
• 4. add vanilla, while still mixing (do not cut off mixer)
• 5. Add sugar slowly, mix on high speed until STIFF PEEKS from. Creamy Egg Whites are ready ! STAY OUT OF THE BOWL ! If you eat this up, you can NOT add water to streach it out, thinking "no one will know" YES THEY WILL ! STAY OUT OF THE BOWL !
• 6. Prepare piping bag by cutting tip and inserting pastry tip. Stand in glass, tip down.
• 7. fill bag with cream (half full) twisting top to close
• 8. Cut pastry in half If you need pastry, see "Eclairs & Cream Puff Dough 101"
• 9. With firm pressure fill pastry, and retop springle with powdered sugar (optional)
• 10. NOW YOU CAN EAT ! ENJOY !

CREAM PUFFS AND ÉCLAIRS RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Before you begin: note that the pastry recipe will make 12 cream puffs OR 20 to 24 éclairs. The filling recipes (whipped cream, and pastry cream) make enough for 12 pastries each. The icing recipe is a generous amount for icing 2 dozen éclairs. If you simply want to drizzle the éclairs with icing, cut both the chocolate and cream in half. 2. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets. 3. Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan, heat until the butter has melted, and bring to a rolling boil. 4. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously. 5. Return the pan to the burner and cook over medium heat, stirring all the while, until the mixture smooths out and follows the spoon around the pan; this should take less than a minute. 6. Remove the pan from the heat, and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes. It'll still feel hot, but you should be able to hold a finger in it for a few seconds. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the temperature should be below 125°F. 7. Transfer the mixture to a mixer, and beat in the eggs one at a time; it'll look curdled at first, but when you add the last egg it should become smooth. Beat for at least 2 minutes after adding the last egg. 8. Using a generously filled tablespoon cookie scoop, or a level muffin scoop, drop the thick batter onto the prepared baking sheets in 3- to 4-tablespoon mounds. Space the mounds about 3" apart, to allow for expansion. For éclairs, pipe the batter into 5" logs about 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter. 9. Bake the pastries for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until pastries are a medium golden brown. Don't open the oven door while the pastries are baking. 10. Remove the pastries from the oven. Make a small slit in the top of each, and return them to the oven for 5 minutes, to allow the steam to escape. Place them on a rack to cool. When they're cool enough to handle, split each in half to make top and bottom pieces; splitting and exposing the centers to air will help keep them from becoming soggy. 11. To make the cream puff filling: Pour the cream into a mixing bowl, and begin to whip it on high speed (using your mixer's whisk attachment, if you have one). Sprinkle in the sugar gradually as the cream whips. Whip until stiff, but be careful not to over-whip; cream should still look smooth. 12. Fill the bottom halves of the puffs with whipped cream, then replace their tops. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve. 13. To make the éclair filling: Prepare your favorite pastry cream filling; see tips below for our favorite. You'll need about 3 cups of filling. 14. Spoon the filling into the éclair shells. 15. To make the icing, place the chocolate chips or chunks and cream in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. 16. Heat over low heat (or in the microwave) until the cream is very hot. 17. Remove from the heat, and stir until the chocolate melts and the icing is smooth. Spoon over the éclairs, spreading to the edges. Serve immediately. TIPS : *Want to make profiteroles? Fill cream puff shells with ice cream, and drizzle with the sauce of your choice; chocolate is traditional. *Our pastry cream filling mix is a real time-saver; you'll need about 3 cups. Or, pour 3 cups milk into a bowl (the higher-fat the milk, the richer the filling); add the contents of 2 regular-size boxes of vanilla instant pudding mix, plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat until thick, and refrigerate until ready to use. *To shape éclairs without a pastry bag, place a sandwich bag into a glass, rolling its edge over the rim to hold it in place. Spoon the batter into the bag. Cut off 1 corner of the bag, making a 1/2" cut. Squeeze the batter onto the baking sheet through the hole in the corner. *Want to prepare pastries ahead? Make the shells, and store them at room temperature, lightly covered. Your best bet is to whip the cream no more than several hours ahead of time. Pastry cream filling/pudding can be made several days ahead. Icing can be made several days ahead, and reheated. Fill (and ice) pastries just before serving.

"HEAVY CREAM" FILLING FOR ECLAIRS & CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• 1. Add heavy cream to mixing bowl, and start whipping at medium speed until texture change (cream will began to thinken)
• 2. Add sugar slowly while still mixing, add vanilla I know you want to taste it " go on, taste it". Now make adjustment to the sugar if you want more. This is also the time to add any "special Libations" =rum, kahlua', coffee....
• 3. Mix on high speed until thick and creamy Cream is done! STOP EATING IT ! Leave some for the pastry.
• 4. Cut small whole in bag and insert piping tip. hang in drinking glass (tip down)
• 5. *Cut open pastries DON'T HAVE PASTRY ? SEE= ECLAIR & CREAM PUFF DOUGH 101
• 6. Began to fill piping bag with cream, (fill only half full) Shake bag to move cream to tip, and remove air pockets. twist top.
• 7. With firm pressure, squeezing from the top. Filling pastry with desired amount of cream. Put top back on pastry. Springle with powdered sugar (optional). ENJOY !

CREAM PUFFS (ECLAIRS)

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.