Easy Eclairs

This recipe is from from hiddenponies.com .  I saw it on Pinterest and have been wanting to try it for awhile.  I made these Eclairs with my family this evening and we really enjoyed them.  If you like Eclairs you will love these!

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 10

 

Ingredients

CHOUX PASTRY:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 large eggs

CUSTARD FILLING:

• 1 (4 serving size) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups milk (or as called for on pudding package)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

CHOCOLATE ICING:

• 2 oz semisweet chocolate (or 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp hot water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. LIghtly grease a large cookie sheet and set aside.
2. In medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter and water. Bring to a boil, stirring to melt butter.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to form a stiff ball of dough.
4. Remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition to ensure they are incorporated. Work quickly, especially with the first one, to prevent it from cooking into scrambled eggs on the bottom of your warm pan :)
5. With a spoon or pastry bag fitted with a large tip, spread/pipe the thick dough onto prepared cookie sheet into 10 strips approximately 1 1/2 x 4″ each.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 and bake another 20 minutes, until puffed and golden and hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. When removed from oven, IMMEDIATELY pierce the ends almost through to the other side to let steam escape and prevent any sogginess in the middle. This hole is also where you will be piping your filling into. Let cool completely before filling and icing (this will only take about half an hour).
7. For CUSTARD FILLING: combine pudding and milk in a bowl and mix according to package directions. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp salt. Fold whipped cream into pudding.
8. Scoop mixture into pastry bag fitted with a smallish tip (I enlarged my steam holes a bit to make my tip fit, so do whatever works) and pipe mixture into centers of eclairs until full. This is a bit of a messy business, but worth it for ease of eating and pretty appearance. You could certainly also just slice the eclairs in half horizontally, fill the bottoms with cream, and replace the tops. Either way, you will probably have some custard leftover.
9. For ICING: Melt the chocolate and 2 Tbsp butter over low heat in a saucepan (or in the microwave, stirring after 30 seconds and giving additional 10 second increments as needed until fully melted). Stir in 1 cup icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir in hot water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until icing is smooth and reaches desired consistency. Drizzle, pipe or spread over filled eclairs.
10. Store in the fridge.

Mom's Soft Sugar Cookies

1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk ( or 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
about 6 cups flour (start low and add until you have your desired consistency)

Bake at 350 degrees until done.


Frosting

1lb powdered sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 Tbs butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/3 to 1/2 cup canned milk

Mix well.

S'more Bars

6 cups mini marshmallows (1 10 oz bag)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
8 cups Golden Grahams (1 13 oz box)
5 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Melt 5 cups marshmallow, chocolate chips, and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla.  Butter rectangular pan, 13x9x2.  Pour Golden Grahams into a large bowl.  Poor marshmallow mixture over cereal; stir to evenly coat.  Stir in remaining marshmallows.  Press mixture into pan with buttered back of spoon.  Cool until firm.  Cut into 24 bars.  Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Another favorite oatmeal cookie....

1 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups quick oats
2 cups flour
3/4-1 cup chocolate chips

Mix together in order.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Check at 8 minutes.

Oatmeal Caramelitas

35 caramels
5 T. evaporated milk
--melt in a saucepan over low heat stirring often until melted and combined.

While melting caramel, mix together:
1 cup quick cook oats
1 cup flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup melted butter
--Press half of the mixture into a greased 11 x 7 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips. Pour caramel mixture over chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture on top. Bake for 15 minutes more. Refrigerate immediately for at least 2 hours. Cut and eat!

Butterfinger Blondies

I have been on a peanut butter fix lately, and these look so good.  I haven't tried them yet, but I think I will have to make them for FHE.

http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/2011/08/butterfinger-blondies.html

Peanut Butter Bars and Frosting Recipe

Recipe from http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/2011/06/lunch-lady-peanut-butter-bars.html

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter

2 cups oatmeal (not quick)

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt


Cream first 3 ingredients together. Add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and combine. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Spread dough on a greased jelly roll pan (18x13x1"). Make at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (until golden brown). While hot spread 1 1/2 cups peanut butter on top. Cool so that the peanut butter has become solid again (I usually throw them in the fridge so they set up faster and so I can eat them sooner!). Spread your favorite chocolate frosting on top and cut into bars.


My fave buttercream frosting recipe for these bars:

1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine, softened

1/4 cup milk

1-2 tsp vanilla (depending on your taste)

3 Tablespoons cocoa (I have never really exactly measured)

2-3 cups of powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth and spread on top of bars

Chocolate Chip Icecream bowls

1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. butter flavored shortening
1 1/8 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. To make the cookie cups, beat together the shortening, butter, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until combined.

2. In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, baking powder, and flour, then gradually stir them into the batter. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a flat disk, and wrap it in plastic. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

4. Heat the oven to 375°. Turn two 12-cup muffin tins bottom side up and cover 10 of the cup bottoms with squares of aluminum foil (use every other cup so there's some space between them).

5. Unwrap 1 disk of dough, place it between 2 sheets of waxed paper, and roll it out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 4-inch circles of dough and place each one over a cup bottom, smoothing out any cracks. Repeat with the other disk, rerolling and reusing any scraps.



6. Bake the cookie cups for 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Let them cool for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and cookies together from the muffin pan. Peel off the foil and let the cups cool completely on a rack. Just before serving, fill each cookie cup with a scoop of ice cream. Makes about 9-10.

Lemon Ice Box Cake

1 white or yellow cake mix
1 small pkg of lemon instant jello
1 small pkg vanilla instant pudding
1 Cup milk
4-6oz cool whip

Bake cake as directed and cool. Poke holes ½ inch apart all over cake. Dissolve lemon jello in 1 cup of boiling water, then add ½ cup cold water. Pour jello over cake and put in fridge. Cover and Refrigerate 1 hour or until set. Mix 1 package of vanilla pudding with one cup milk. Mix cool whip into pudding and frost cake.

The Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c unsalted butter, melted
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheet or use parchment paper. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In medium bowl, cream together melted butter, brown and white sugar until well blended. Beat in vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in dry ingredients until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Drop cookie dough a 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to rack to cool completely. These are awesome for ice cream sandwiches!

Easy Cinnamon Knots

Ingredients:
12 Rhodes Texas Rolls, thawaed but still cold
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbs butter melted
2-3 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix cinnamon with sugar. Roll each roll into a 9 inch rope. Tie in a loose know. Roll each knot in melted butter and then cinnamon/sugar mixture. Pace in a sprayed muffin tin. Cover with sprayed plastic (I just cover mine with a dish towell) and let double in size. Remove wrap (or towell). Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and place on a cooling rack. Brush with icing while still warm.