Mini Eclair Footballs

This is such a fun treat for a football party.  They're a little time consuming to make but super easy, and always impressive. Not to mention these are the yummiest treat--I guarantee they'll be gone in a flash!

Choux Pastry (from here)
Yields about 20 small eclairs
1 cup water
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup flour
3 eggs, plus 1 extra, if needed

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat.
Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, add 3 eggs, 1 egg at a time. Stop mixing after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining 1 egg and mix until incorporated.
Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe lengths of dough about 2-3 inches long and 1/2 in. thick (or about the size and shape of a jumbo hot dog for regular eclairs) onto the lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between them.

Egg Wash: In a bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Brush the surface of each eclair with the egg wash. Use your fingers to smooth out any bumps of points of dough that remain on the surface.

For mini Eclairs bake 7 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 7 minutes more.  Let cool on the baking sheet.

Pudding Filling:
Large package instant Vanilla Pudding
1 cup Cream
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix pudding with milk as directed on package.  Beat the cream, adding powdered sugar and vanilla as you mix, until fluffy.  Fold into pudding mixture.

Fit a medium-size plain pastry tip over your index finger and use it to make a hole in the end of each eclair (or just use your fingertip). Using a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip, gently pipe the pudding into the eclairs, using only just enough to fill the inside (don't stuff them full).

 Refrigerate or freeze the eclairs until ready to dip in the frosting.

Ganache Frosting
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth.


Dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm chocolate ganache and allow to cool.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Football stripes:
Make a small batch of vanilla frosting and pipe football lines on with pastry bag fitted with a small circle tip.

 

ENJOY!