Carla Hall's Eclairs with Hazelnut Creme

A simple, delicious dessert!
- Ingredients
- step-by-step directions
Carla Hall's Eclairs with Hazelnut Creme
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- 2 cups Water
- Pinch Salt
- 2 cups Unbleached Flour
- 7 Eggs
- For the Hazelnut Creme:
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 5 Large Egg Yolks
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract or Hazelnut Liqueur
- To Dip in Chocolate:
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature) cut into tablespoon sized pieces
- 8 oz Semisweet Chocolate Chips
- Preheat oven to 400F, and line sheet pans with parchment. Lightly coat with cooking spray.
- In a medium pot, bring water, butter, and salt and a boil. Add all flour at once, turning heat down to medium-low and begin to beat until mixture pulls away from sides and forms a ball.
- Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat at medium speed until cooled slightly. Turn speed up to high and add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Do not add the next egg until current egg is fully incorporated.
- When dough comes together, around 10 minutes, transfer to piping bag. Pipe onto the parchment lined sheet pan, leaving space between each.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until outside is golden brown and the inside of the eclairs sound hollow. Cool completely before filling.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Place over a low heat whisking gently just until the mixture bubbles, about 15 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Stir in vanilla extract or flavored liqueur. Press plastic wrap directly on the top of the cream and place in fridge to cool completely, approximately 2 hours.
- To fill the eclairs, transfer the pastry creme to a piping bag, with a medium tip. Use the tip to break a small hole in the eclair, and fill.
- To dip in chocolate, heat chocolate in a double boiler. Add the room temperature butter, a piece at a time, melting into the butter. Dip eclairs with mixture and allow to dry on a parchment lined sheet pan.
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