Hearts Delight Eclair Recipe Taste Of Home

HEARTS DELIGHT ECLAIR - MADE WITH PUFF PASTRY SHEETS

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll each puff pastry sheet into a 12 inch square.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• (Original recipe calls for: "Using an 11 inch heart pattern, cut each pastry into a heart shape" - either way works well).
• Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. (Do not underbake - it's a good idea to check your oven temperature. If underbaked, the pastry will fall.).
• Remove to wire rack to cool.
• Meanwhile, whisk milk and pudding mix until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, beat cream and 1/2 t vanilla until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold into pudding until consistent color but do not over stir.
• Split puff pastry sheets horizontally with a serrated knife.
• Place one layer on a serving plate and top with 1/3 of the pudding mixture.
• Repeat twice.
• Top with remaining pastry.
• In a small bowl combine confectioners sugar, water, almond extract and remaining vanilla and stir until smooth. (If necessary you can use a few drops more water if you find it difficult to spread but do not thin too much or you lose the white color which adds to its appearance).
• Carefully spread over top of dessert.
• Melt chocolate chips and shortening. Pipe in diagonal lines in one direction over frosting (if you don't have tips for piping, place in a plastic zip lock baggie,seal the bag and cut a small piece off the corner of the baggie to do the piping).
• Refrigerate until set - (remove from fridge about 15-20 minutes before serving to soften the top for easy cutting)
• This holds well overnight but we never seem to have any leftovers to keep any longer than that!

THELMA'S CHOCOLATE ECLAIR

Steps:

• Line a 13x9-in. dish with half of the graham crackers, breaking crackers to fit as needed., Whisk milk and pudding mixes 2 minutes; let stand until soft-set, about 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping; spread evenly over crackers. Top with remaining crackers., In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate and butter until melted; stir until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread over top. Refrigerate, covered, 8 hours or overnight.

HEART-SHAPED CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIRS

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry cream: Cut vanilla bean in half crosswise, then cut a slit lengthwise down each half. Use the edge of the knife to scrape out all the seeds. Discard the pods or reserve for another use.
• Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla seeds in a saucepan; whisk until well combined.
• Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom surface of the pan, until thick, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and whisk to release some steam. Add butter and keep stirring until melted. Pass through a fine sieve to remove any fibrous bits from the vanilla pod. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner (such as Silpat®).
• Combine butter, water, and salt for the pate choux in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a buttery dough forms. Continue to cook and stir until a starchy film forms on the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and continue stirring for 1 more minute.
• Transfer to a bowl. Add one egg and mix it in with a little dough. Once that's incorporated, mix it in with the remaining dough. Repeat with the second egg. Continue stirring until you have a very sticky dough. Use a spatula to clean off the whisk if necessary.
• Transfer the dough into a pastry bag and snip off the tip making a ½-inch opening. Pipe two 6-inch heart shapes on the prepared baking sheet. Start by making thin shapes and then pipe extra dough to make them thicker. To fine-tune the hearts, dip your fingers in water and fix any imperfections if desired.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until beautifully browned, about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, leave the pastries in the oven, and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Let sit until crispy and dried out, about 1 hour.
• Use a serrated knife to slice the hearts in half horizontally.
• Remove pastry cream from the refrigerator and transfer to a pastry bag. Generously pipe cream into the bottom half of each heart, then place the top halves on the cream.
• Heat cream in a saucepan until simmering.
• Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and pour hot cream over top. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then whisk until chocolate has melted and ganache is thick and shiny. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
• Spoon ganache on top of each heart. Reserve any remaining ganache for another use. Refrigerate éclairs until the ganache is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Place éclairs on serving plates. Fill the center of each heart with raspberries and sift cocoa powder over top. Sift powdered sugar over just the raspberries and serve. (Each éclair is enough for two people.)

CHOCOLATE ECLAIR DESSERT

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil, stirring constantly until butter is melted. Reduce heat to low; add the flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a smooth ball. Remove from the heat. , Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until the batter becomes smooth. Spread into a greased and floured 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until puffed and golden. Immediately remove from pan and cut in half horizontally. Cool completely. , For filling, beat the pudding mix, milk and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Just before serving, place bottom eclair layer on a serving platter; cover with filling. Replace top layer and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. , Using a tablespoon or a pastry tube with a #10 or large round tip, form dough into nine 4x1-1/2-in. strips on a greased baking sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove to a wire rack. Immediately split eclairs open; remove tops and set aside. Discard soft dough from inside. Cool eclairs. , In a large bowl, beat milk and pudding mix according to package directions. In another bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar and vanilla; fold into pudding. Fill eclairs (chill any remaining filling for another use). , For frosting, in a microwave, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Stir in sugar and enough hot water to achieve a smooth consistency. Cool slightly. Frost eclairs. Store in refrigerator.

ECLAIR TORTE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. , Spread into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° until puffed and golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, remove puff from pan and place on a serving platter. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until light. Add milk and pudding mix; beat until smooth. Spread over puff; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Spread with whipped topping; refrigerate. Drizzle with chocolate syrup just before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.