In honor of TODAY, being National Chocolate Eclair Day, here are TWO of Mom’s copycat recipes for…
ECLAIRS [Like Best Western – Niagara Falls, ONT], With [Sanders’ Style] Fudge Frosting
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… The Second Helping Of Secret Recipes (National Homemakers Newsletter, Pearl Beach, MI; July 1977, p. 71). As always, I’m asking only for proper credit if you care to re-share this.
We had these eclairs at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, this summer [1977] and found them to be very unusual. A light, creamy filling was used. I duplicated the consistency [this way]…
FOR PASTRY:
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
½ cup butter
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sifted, all-purpose flour
4 eggs, unbeaten
INSTRUCTIONS:
Bring water, butter, and salt to boiling point. Add flour all at once and stir until mixture leaves sides of pan. Remove from [heat] and stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
Drop mounds of batter [3 inches by 1 inch] 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven [at 425°F] until well browned and puffed, about 30 minutes. Remove and cut one or two slits immediately in the sides to prevent sogginess. Return to oven for a few minutes. Fill just before serving… with Cream Filling [below]…
FOR CREAM FILLING:
INGREDIENTS:
3-oz box vanilla instant pudding, prepared per box directions; reducing milk called for by ¼ cup
½ cup whipped margarine
¼ tsp vanilla
1 TB powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare pudding per box directions, reducing milk called for by ¼ cup. When pudding is “set”, whip it with whipped margarine, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Top off eclairs with our “Sounder’s Fudge Frosting” (see below). Keep refrigerated until serving time.
The Best Western Hotel served theirs with whipped cream garnish, obviously applied with a decorator’s tip and a few chocolate sprinkles, as used in decorating cookies. VERY, very good!
SOUNDER’S FUDGE FROSTING
[aka: Sanders’]
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… The Second Helping Of Secret Recipes (National Homemakers Newsletter, Pearl Beach, MI; July 1977, p. 54). As always, I’m asking only for proper credit if you care to re-share this.
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup dairy buttermilk, NOT sour milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark Karo syrup
1/3 cup Hershey’s cocoa
Pinch salt
½ cup butter
½ cup more butter
2½ cups powdered sugar (half of a 1-lb box)
INSTRUCTIONS:
In 1 ½-qt pan, over medium heat, combine [first 6 ingredients]. Bring to boil. Boil gently, for 10 minutes; stirring constantly, to softball stage. Remove from heat and add [rest of ingredients]. Beat for exactly 8 minutes. This is a “pouring” type of icing.
See also…
