Chocolate Eclairs Gramma’s Amish recipe collection

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

• Make the filling first (to allow adequate time for it to set in the refrigerator), whisk instant pudding and cold milk together for around two minutes or until set. Set aside for now. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer for 5-10 minutes until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and confectioners sugar and mix until sugar is well incorporated and no longer lumpy. Fold the whipped cream mixture into the pudding until well combined. Refrigerate for at least an hour until set.
• To make the choux pastry; Place butter, water and sugar in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently until butter has melted into the water. Remove from heat and add flour and salt. Stir well until flour is fully incorporated (around 30 seconds), then return to medium heat and stir some more until the dough starts to form a ball and no longer sticks to the pan (another 30 seconds or so).
• Transfer the dough to a stand mixer with a dough paddle attached, then mix the dough for 40-60 seconds to allow it to cool just slightly. Add 1 egg and mix on medium speed until well combined. Continue adding one egg at a time until the dough is smooth and silky and drips very slowly from the paddle *see note and photo below.
• Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, then using a piping bag with a large 3/4 inch pastry tip (the bag can also be cut at 1 inch across), pipe the choux pastry onto the lined cookie sheets creating strips 1 1/4 inch wide(roughly) and 4 inches long. Bake the choux on the center racks in the oven at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 and bake for another 20 minutes until the pastry shells are golden brown and hollow *see note. Allow to cool.
• For the chocolate ganache: Heat one cup heavy whipping cream and then whisk in the chocolate wafers until they have melted and the ganache is smooth. Allow the ganache to cool and harden slightly *see note.
• Fill the cooled pastry shells with filling by using a piping bag fitted with a pastry syringe and inserting the tip into one end of the choux pastry. Fill until the choux pastry feels heavy. You can also simply slice the pastries in half length-wise and fill them similar to a sandwich cookie/whoopie pie. Dip the filled eclairs into the chocolate ganache, then refrigerate for several hours until set. Enjoy!!