My Easy Chocolate Eclairs

My family loves these eclairs and request them all the time. I usually make them as dessert whenever we have company coming, they are always a hit!

My Easy Chocolate Eclairs

Total Time: 50 min
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Yield:
approximately 12 large, 24 medium, or 60 small eclairs

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 1 cup ( 8 oz or 230 ml) water
• 1 stick (½ cup or 4 oz or 113 gm) margarine or butter
• 1 cup ( 8 oz or 226 gm) sifted all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

Filling:

• 3 cups (24 oz or 700 ml) milk
  
• 3/4 cup ( 2,6 oz or 73 gm) sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Icing:

• 2 (1-ounce) squares chocolate
  
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup ( 8 oz or 230 ml) whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat water and margarine or butter to boiling point. Add flour and stir constantly until mixture is smooth and forms a ball when tested in cold water. Remove from heat and let cool. Beat in 4 eggs, one at a time. Drop dough from teaspoon to form small eclairs onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until light brown. Set aside to cool. Prepare filling by combining milk, sugar, salt and flour; cook slowly until thickens. Add 3 beaten eggs and continue to cook until mixture is even thicker. Remove from heat, cool and add vanilla.
3. With a serrated knife, slice pastry puffs lengthwise, but not all the way through. Pipe custard mixture into the center. Melt chocolate for icing, add sugar and cream. Cook over medium heat until soft ball stage. Let cool and beat until smooth. Ice tops of the eclairs