Holiday Dishes

Eclairs

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 mL) boiling water
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place water, butter and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. When butter is melted and mixture is boiling, incorporate flour all at once. Stir rapidly until mixture forms a ball that comes away from the sides of the pan. Do not overcook as this will cause the flour and fat to separate.

Remove from heat and add eggs, unbeaten, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. A mixer or food processor is ideal for this job, as long beating is secret to a tender puff.

Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Form paste into desired shape, using a pastry bag or sealed plastic sandwich bag with one corner cut. You can also carefully form dough with the back of a spoon. 1 tbsp (15 mL) of mixture makes 1 large puff or eclair; 1 tsp (5 mL) of mixture makes 1 bite size puff. Eclairs are rectangular shaped puffs 3 inches to 4 inches long by 1 inch wide.

Baking the eclairs: A very hot oven is essential to puff the paste. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 30 minutes or until well risen and set. Reduce heat to 325°F (160°C) for about 10 to 15 minutes or until eclairs are dry and golden in colour. When baked, place eclairs on a wire rack until cool. When shells are cold, cut a slit in the side and fill the eclairs with sweetened whipped cream, ice cream, or custard. Sprinkle with icing sugar and drizzle with chocolate or butterscotch sauce or sweetened fruits in season.

Makes 1 dozen eclairs or 7 dozen bite-sized puffs.

Filling variations:
Cream Pie filling
Lemon custard
Savory cheese spreads, chicken, fish and seafood

Tip: To prevent sogginess, only fill shells when ready to serve.

Nutrients per serving:

Calories: 67.7
Protein: 0.8 g
Carbohydrate: 2.4 g
Fat: 6.2 g

*Note: Nutrient analysis does not include fillings and toppings.