clairs

Michelle Riffitts and Sarah KoppclairsThe Ingredients

1/2 cup butter1 cup water1 cup all-purpose flour1/4 teaspoon salt4 eggs1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix2 1/2 cups cold milk1/4 cup confectioners' sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract cup semi-sweet chocolate chips2 tablespoons butter1 cup confectioners' sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract3 tablespoons hot water

Step OnePreheat convection oven to 400 and put wax paper on cookie sheets

Step TwoIn a saucepan place cup butter and 1 cup water, bring to a boil and stir until butter is completely melted

Step ThreeAdd 1 cup flour and teaspoon salt to saucepan and stir vigorously until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.

Step FourRemove the mixture from heat. Add 4 eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Step FivePlace mixture into a pastry bag. Pipe out onto cookie trays.

Step SixBake pastries for 20 minutes and cool afterwards.

Step SevenWhile the pastries are baking, combine pudding mix and milk, following the instructions on the box (whisk 2 cups of milk and the pudding mix together).

Step EightAlso while the pastries are cooking, mix cup of semi-sweet chocolate chip and 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan until melted.

Step NineAfter the chocolate is melted add 1 cup of confectioners sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Then add 3 tablespoons of hot water one at a time.

Step TenAfter the pastries have cooled, fill them with pudding and put the chocolate icing on top.

The Finished Product

History of clairsThe clair was believed to be created in the early nineteenth century. This was about ninety years before Cyrano de Bergerac was written. The first time the word clair was seen in an English dictionary was in 1861. The first time an English recipe was seen for clairs was in Boston Cooking School Cook Book in 1884. clairs received their name they glisten[s] when coated with confectioner's glaze. The name clair was fitting because clair is the French word for lightning. The first clairs were suspected to be made by Marie-Antoine Carme, a pastry chef for French royalty.

History of EclairsIn clairs a light pastry dough called pte choux is used. The dough was invented in 1540 by a chef named Panterelli. Panterelli used the dough for a cake and named it after himself. He called it Pte Panterelli. Over time the dough and name evolved and changed based on the recipes were used for. The dough was finally named pte choux because the dough resembled cabbages and the French word for cabbage is choux.

Works Cited"Choux Pastry." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Feb. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. ."Eclairs." Ferguson Plarre. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. ."Mini Desserts." : The History of Eclairs. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. ."Pte Choux." La Carte. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. .

The Inspiration for Our Recipe:http://allrecipes.com/recipe/eclairs-ii/