Cream Puffs and Eclairs

I did well...I only ate 5 of them :-)

Eclair dough (pate a choux):

9 1/2 oz flour

1 pint water

6 oz butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 pint eggs

Heat water, butter, and salt to a rolling boil. Stir flour into water. Stirring constantly until mixture forms a mass and pulls away from sides of pan. Transfer to stand mixer. Let cool sligtly. Mix in eggs 2 at a time using paddle attachment on low speed.

Pipe into desired shape. Bake at 425 F until they are puffed and starting to turn brown.

Reduce heat to 375 F and bake about 10 -12 mins longer. Let pastries cool to room temp.

Pastry Cream:

1 qt milk

1 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean

4 oz egg yolks

2 large eggs

2 1/2 oz corn starch

2 oz butter

Bring milk and vanilla bean seeds to a simmer. Mix sugar, yolks, eggs, and corn starch together. Temper into milk mixture (add a small amount of the hot milk to yolk mixture and stir..then add yolks to the remaining milk). Reduce heat to med low and cook until the mixture had thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Let cool. Place in pastry bag fitted with a pointy tip.

Chocolate Glaze:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup dark chocolate

1/8 cup light corn syrup

Heat cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted. Mix in corn syrup (the syrup not only sweetens the glaze but also makes it shiny).

Take pastry bag and poke the tip into each eclair and fill with pasty cream. I make the hole in the tops so it can't be seen after its dipped into the glaze.