Eclairs au Chocolat

Today was going to be "International Lunch" at school. Of course, since I am French... I volunteered the famous French pastry...Chocolate Eclairs!
They are a delicate puff pasties filled with a flavored Creme Patissiere (or pastry cream), and decorated with a thin and glossy glaze.
In this case, the creme patissiere is flavored with melted chocolate, and the glaze is Fondant and chocolate.
As I was making these last night, I had to fight the entire family!!! They had never had my home made eclairs and could not wait...!

Eclairs au Chocolat

Makes about 60 Eclairs



1 recipe Pate a Choux
1 recipe "creme patissiere au chocolat", or chocolate pastry cream


Glaze:
7 oz Fondant **
1 Tbsp water
1.4 oz cocoa powder



Preheat the oven to 400F.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
With a pastry bag fitted with a tip #806 (size 6), pipe strips of dough that are about 3 inches long and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes. They must be golden and puffy.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
Repeat until all the dough is used. If you have too many puffs, freeze the extra ones and use at a later time. Just defrost and "refresh" in the oven for 3 minutes.

When the puffs have cooled, slice the tops off and set aside.

With a clean pastry bag, and the same tip (I use this tip for just about anything!), pipe the pastry cream into the bottoms of the puffs, filling them over the top.
Replace the tops on the puffs.

Now prepare the glaze:
Heat the fondant with the water on low heat. Add the chocolate and mix well.
Spread evenly on the top of the puffs.

Refrigerate and serve your eclairs!


** You may replace the fondant by confectioner sugar.