Eclair Tarts

My boyfriend loves eclairs. However, I don't want to bake the same dessert over and over, it would get boring quick. So I came up with a new dessert idea...eclair tarts! It would still taste like an eclair, but I wouldn't be baking the exact same thing. Problem solved!

These eclair tarts were delicious. The tart shell is soft and crumbles apart gently when you bite into it. Just wonderful! I think you will enjoy eating this!

Tart Shell:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

Filling:

1 (5 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 1/2 cups cold milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup whole milk

1 tbs light corn syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

For shells: Preheat oven to 325 F.

Cream butter until soft. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Then add egg yolks and beat until creamy. Gradually stir in flour until well mixed.

Lightly spray tart molds with oil spray. Take about 1 tablespoon of dough and press into mold, spreading dough as thin as possible.

Bake in oven for about 10 minutes. Cool and remove from tart mold. I used a toothpick to help me get them out. Fill them with the whipped vanilla filling and drizzle with chocolate glaze.

For filling: Combine pudding mix and milk in medium bowl according to package directions. In a separate bowl, beat cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in 1//4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla. Fold whipped cream into pudding. Use filling to fill tart shells.

For glaze: Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease heat to low, add the chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Turn off heat and add powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over filled tart shells.

Eclairs

My boyfriend was trying to invent something new for me to make. As he was describing his "creation," it sounded so much like an eclair. He thought an eclair was a fried doughnut, so he never said "I want you to make an eclair." He kept describing a custard filled pastry with a chocolate glaze on top.

When I asked him if he wanted an eclair, he said kind of like that but not a fried one. Thats when I corrected him and told him eclairs are not fried. The creation he kept describing was indeed an eclair. So here it is:

Recipe:

Ingredients:
Shells:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs

Filling:
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tbs light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions:
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 glaze, combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted. Turn off heat, add the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Place the mixture over a bowl of warm water and dip the eclairs immediately. Allow glaze to set for 30 minutes before serving.