The ultimate in home-made "sweet tooth" satisfaction!

Valentines Day was yummy at my house this year.  I came home from a tough day at work to find my husband had fixed a wonderful supper that tasted heavenly.  I wanted to do something nice for him in return. My husband loves chocolate eclairs but we rarely buy them. This was the year I decided he deserved a treat made from scratch to show my love and appreciation.  I rolled up my sleeves, found a recipe, reinforced my confidence and went to work.

Fill through a small hole made with your finger or a pointed spatula. Use a pastry bag and decorator tip to fill. Don't over-fill!

Making the finished product didn’t take as long as I expected and it was quite easy.  I made the dough and piped rectangles onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in 5-10 minutes.  The custard filling took approximately 10 minutes to prepare  while the dough baked, and glazing the filled eclairs with melted milk chocolate took minutes.  Refrigerate and voila; ready to eat!

I recommend you try your hand at making this pastry. It requires simple ingredients found in most homes any day of the week: milk, eggs, sugar, butter, salt, flour, cornstarch and water to make the dough and custard.   The chocolate topping can be as simple as melting chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate bar.  Chocolate Eclairs made at home are one of Life’s Simple Pleasures that you don’t want to miss.

Melt chocolate in a microwave for just a minute or two. Don't over cook or it will scorch. I applied the chocolate directly to the roll with a pastry brush. Website for recipe I used: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946F