Chocolate eclairs

My niece and I learned how to make chocolate eclairs for Sunday Night Dinner. The recipe was adapted from the Taste of Home recipe.

What you need:

ECLAIR SHELLS

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1 cup water

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

FILLING:

2-1/2 cups cold milk

1 package (5.1 ounces) vanilla pudding mix

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE ICING:

2 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons hot water

What you do:

1. In a large saucepan, combine butter and water. Bring to a rapid boil, stirring until the butter melts. Reduce heat to low; add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a stiff ball. Remove from the heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

2. With a tablespoon or a pastry tube fitting with a no. 10 or larger tip, spoon or pipe dough into 4-in.-long x 1-1/2-in.-wide strips on a greased baking sheet.

3. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325° bake 20 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

4. For filling cook pudding according to directions until soft-set. In another large bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar and vanilla; fold into pudding.

5. Cut cooled shells in half and place in the fridge until ready to ice them. (Chill remaining pudding mixture for another use.)

6. For icing, melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar. Add hot water until icing is smooth and reaches desired consistency. Cool slightly. Spread over eclairs using pastry tip and ziploc bag. Chill in freezer until serving.

7. Just before eating the eclairs pipe in the filling between layers. Add a top with chocolate icing hardened on top to complete the eclair. Enjoy!

Nutrition info:

1 each: 470 calories, 28g fat (17g saturated fat), 174mg cholesterol, 492mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (34g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein.