Cream Puffs with Vanilla Custard Filling

For the Eclair Dough

Combine water and butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Once the butter has completely melted, add the flour and stir will, then continue to stir over medium heat for 2 minutes. It is important to cook it the entire 2 minutes so that the flour will cook completely. The dough will stick to the sides of the pan and then form a ball keep stirring and cooking.

After 2 minutes, remove from the heat and place dough in bowl of an electric mixer. Allow to cool about 5 minutes. Then, with the machine running on low, add the salt and eggs one at a time with time in between each addition. The dough will change in appearance from looking like scrambled eggs to a shiny batter. Continue to beat for about 2 minutes until it pulls away from the bottom or sides of the bowl.

Place dough into a pastry bag with a tip, or into a zip-top bag and cut off on one corner. Squeeze the bag of dough into mounds for cream puffs or into 4-inch long strips for eclairs.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and bake 12-15 minutes for cream puffs or eclairs (depending on size). The tops should no longer look wet and they should look lightly golden brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven off. Use a paring knife to prick a hole in each cream puff to allow steam to escape.

Return the pan to the oven with the heat off, leave the door ajar and allow to cool to room temperature.

For the Filling

Make the pudding according to package directions and chill. May be used immediately or chilled, covered up to one day before assembling cake. Thaw whipped topping in the refrigerator for 4 hours before assembling cake.

Spoon vanilla pudding filling into a piping bag fitted with a -inch plain or star tip. Insert the tip into the same hole you made with the knife when the puffs came out of the oven. Fill the puffs and serve immediately, drizzled with chocolate sauce topping. If not serving immediately, keep puffs uncovered in the refrigerator up to 5 hours (Covering tightly will cause them to soften).

Chocolate Sauce Topping

In a 1-quart saucepan over medium high heat, combine milk, butter, and salt and bring it to a boil. Combine the sugar and cocoa powder and stir to get rid of any lumps, then add to the pan and continue to stir with a whisk until it boils and is thickened, at least 2 minutes.

The mixture should coat the back of a spoon when thickened. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Remove chocolate sauce to a small bowl and cover and chill 1 hour before using. Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator up to a week. Bring to room temperature and stir before using.