Chocolate Cream Filled Easter Eclairs With White Chocolate Icing

Ingredients

Eclair Shells
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, in slices
1 cup + 3 tablespoons bread or all-purpose flour*
4-5 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
Chocolate Cream Filling
2 cups whole milk
1 + 2 tablespoons Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
2 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
White Chocolate Glaze
2 teaspoons gelatin
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons corn syrup
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 (11 or 12 oz) bag white chocolate chips
Red food color
Blue food color
1/2 cup Easter jelly beans

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a saucepan large enough to hold all ingredients, bring milk, water, salt, sugar, and butter to a boil.
Remove boiling mixture from heat source and rapidly stir in flour with a wooden or heat resistant rubber spatula.
Return mixture to the heat source and stir over heat for at least 2 minutes or until the mixture forms a ball and leaves a dry looking dough type of film on bottom of pan.
Remove from heat. Incorporating eggs can be done using a stand mixer or hand held mixer. Either drop batter in a mixer bowl fitted with s paddle attachment or in a regular bowl.
Mix in, 1 at a time, 4 of the 5 eggs waiting for each previous added egg to be fully incorporated. Mix until smooth and shiny. Mixture should be glossy and be slightly firmer than mayonnaise. If it still a little too firm, beat remaining egg and add just enough for mixture to be glossy yet firm enough to hold a piped shape.
Fill a piping bag with a plain tip of approximately 1/3-inch diameter (Ateco #825). Pipe batter evenly into a tube shape about 4-inches long and about 1 1/2 inches apart. Sprinkle eclairs with powdered sugar.
Place in oven at 375°F and after 5 minutes reduce temperature down to 350°F, bake until very dry, crisp and deep golden (about 40-45 minutes). Do not underbake as this will cause eclairs to collapse. When you believe they are done, take one (ugly) éclair out the oven and feel the sides. It should feel crisp. Let sit for a 3-4 minutes. If it does not collapse, remove others from the oven.
Prepare chocolate cream filling by bringing milk and 1 tablespoon sugar to boil in a saucepan.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and cornstarch.
When milk comes to a boil, add about 1/4 of milk to yolk mixture. Whisk rapidly. Pour yolk mixture into remaining milk and bring to a boil using a whisk.
Whisk vigorously to prevent burning. Once cream is thick as pudding remove from heat.
Add chocolate chips and stir until chocolate is melted. Place a piece of plastic food film directly onto cream and set bowl into another larger bowl filled with ice cubes to rapidly chill cream.
On bottom of eclairs, make 3 small holes with points of a paring knife. Place a small round piping tip into a pastry bag and fill halfway with chocolate cream.
Fill eclairs by piping filling into holes. Place in the refrigerator.
Mix gelatin with water and set aside.
In a small saucepan bring heavy cream to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in gelatin mixture. Once combined add and whisk in chocolate.
Add 3-4 drops of red food color and 2 drops blue. If needed repeat same ratio to obtain the right depth of color.
Let the glaze cool until it thickens.
As a trial dip (ugliest) eclair into glaze. Hold éclair out of glaze for several seconds upside down until dripping stops. Continue if glaze consistency is right and is not dripping too much. Otherwise allow it to cool more (or reheat slightly if necessary).
Place éclairs on a serving tray and place a few Easter eggs on surfaces before glaze dries to the touch. Repeat until all eclairs have been dipped.
Keep eclairs refrigerated.

Dixie Crystals Insight

Éclair shells (non-filled) can be made days ahead of your special occasion. Once baked, place in freezer bags and freeze. Defrost at room temperature when needed. Once defrosted place them in 400°F oven for 4 minutes to make them crisp again. Then proceed with finishing.

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