Chocolate Eclairs

These are amazing! I started wanting them for every birthday when I was younger. My grandma Youngstrom always told me she was excited to come to my parties because she knew I would be having Eclairs. 

 I doubled the recipe when I made it and it made 26.

 Be sure not to under cook them or they won't poof up how they are supposed to

Eclairs (makes 12-14)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs

In a medium sauce pan melt butter. Add water; bring to boiling. Add flour and salt all at once; stir vigorously. Cook and stir till mixture forms a wall that doesn’t separate. Remove from heat; cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon or beaters after each addition for 1 to 2 minutes or till smooth. Drop batter by heaping tablespoon 3 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Remove from oven: split, removing any soft dough inside. Cool on a wire rack.

Custard filling:

1 cup sugar

1/2 flour

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Beat eggs slightly, add a little of the hot custard to the eggs before adding to the saucepan. Add egg mixture to saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir two minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. This can also be done in the microwave! Microwave everything without the eggs yet for about 3 min; stir, 2 min; stir, 1 min; stir until thick. Then added eggs and microwave again and add vanilla when done.

Chocolate Frosting:

4 cups Powdered sugar

1/2 cube melted butter

1/3 cocoa

dash of salt

1/2 tsp

1/4 cup milk or just until it is the right consistency 

Beat ingredients in large bowl, add milk at the end until its the right consistency.

Fill eclairs with custard and frost with chocolate frosting! Store in refrigerator.

This was one of the first years I didn't have eclairs as my birthday "cake" but my brother had them
so I got eclairs and strawberry rhubarb pie!