Dessert: Chocolate Stuffed Eclairs

A classic French-style dessert with a chocolate filling.

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 stick butter, or margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted, plus 6 tablespoons for filling
7 eggs, (4 for pastry, 3 for filling)
3 cups milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 (1 oz) squares chocolate
1 cup whipping cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 °. Heat water and margarine or butter to boiling point. Add 1 cup 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, 1 at a time and once incorporated, place into a pastry bag. On a greased cookie sheet, pipe out dough in thick lines that form eclairs. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until light brown. Set aside to cool. Prepare filling by combining milk, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and 6 tablespoons flour. Cook slowly until thickened. Add 3 beaten eggs and continue to cook until mixture is even thicker. Remove from heat, cool and add vanilla.
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 2 cups sugar and cream. Cook over medium heat until soft ball stage. Let cool and beat until smooth. Ice tops of the eclairs.