Whenever I have someone over and I make these, they are always so impressed.  I have been known to sigh, throw some flour on my face and describe how much time and effort it took me in the kitchen.  Luckily my friends know me well enough and we always end up laughing.

These eclairs have a perfect little crunch on the outside, a super creamy filling inside and who can complain about them being dripped in chocolate?

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Chocolate Eclairs

With this recipe, there's no need to be afraid to make these yummy Chocolate Eclairs.

Course Dessert

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Author TGIF - This Grandma Is Fun

Ingredients

• Eclairs
  
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
  
• Filling
  
• 1 5.1 oz package Instant Vanilla Pudding
• 2 1/2 cups cold milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• Chocolate icing
  
• 2 squares 1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
• 2 TBL butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 TBL hot water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Eclairs
  
• In a saucepan, combine the butter and water. Melt butter and bring to a rolling boil.
• Reduce heat and mix in flour and salt.
• Mix vigorously until the mixture leaves the side of the pan and forms a stiff ball.
• Remove from heat.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Spoon or pipe dough into 4 x 1/12 inch strips.
• Place on greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 20 minutes longer or until golden brown.
• Let cool.
  
• Filling
  
• Combing pudding mix and milk and mix according to package instructions.
• In a separate bowl, whip the whipped cream until soft peaks form.
• Beat in sugar and vanilla.
• Fold into pudding mixture.
• Fill cooled shells. You may have some mixture leftover. I sometimes put this to mix into some fruit for a great fruit salad!
  
• Chocolate Icing
  
• Melt chocolate and butter in a sauce over low heat.
• Stir in sugar.
• Add hot water and stir until mixture is smooth and to desired consistency.
• Cool slightly.
• Pour over cooled eclairs.
• Chill until served.

With Easter fast approaching, these Chocolate Eclairs would be a great addition to a Sunday Brunch.  Just don’t forget to brush the flour from your face.

The post Chocolate Eclairs appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

When it comes to dessert would you rather choose a cake or a PIE?!

I will choose a pie every time.  I also don’t have one person in my family who’s really fond of frosting hence they’re not a fan of cake either so for us Marie Callender’s is our go-to pie.  Why Marie Callender’s you ask? Are you kidding?  Their crust is the perfect amount of flaky. (in this case flaky is a good thing!) Plus they smell and taste just like homemade and are just plain beautiful right out of the package.

Right now spring is in the air at Marie Callender’s and what better way to celebrate than with pie?  With Spring comes warmer weather, the emergence of spring flowers and we are celebrating by making your “Spring a Little Sweeter” with these 5 Fun Things to do with Marie Callender’s Cream Pie.

Before I show you our suggestions though, we wanted to let you know that from March 16-25, we will be curating the Marie Callender’s Pinterest Board and you are definitely going to want to follow them and watch for some more great ideas for a Sweet Spring.  Make sure to visit everyday!

Now, prepare to be amazed at some fun things that you can do with a cream pie that you may never have thought of before.  Here we go!

1. Mini Cream Puffs and Eclairs

I chose a Marie Callender’s Banana Cream Pie to make these mini cream puffs and mini eclairs.  The sliced almonds that come with the pie make for a great garnishment on these eclairs, don’t you think?

These cute mini cream puffs were a breeze to make because I bought the mini eclairs and mini cream puffs from my local baker. They were very inexpensive and well worth not having to make them myself.  After dipping the tops in chocolate (recipe below) I added the banana cream filling straight from the pie then garnished with some spring colored melted chocolate.

2. Coconut Cream Pie Sundae

With the warmer weather of spring comes the need for a cooler dessert and what is cooler than pie and ice cream? Layer some Coconut Cream Pie into an individual serving dish, add a scoop of ice cream then top with Reddi-Wip and some toasted coconut.

3. Spring Garden Pie

Spring has sprung on this Lemon Meringue Pie by adding some green sugar crystals on top of the  meringue and some pastel colored chocolate flowers springing up through the ground.  (recipe below)

4. Banana Cream Pie Shakes

When my kids were at college, there were quite a few restaurants around campus that were famous for their “Pie Shakes”.  My daughter and her roommates would save their money and then go and split one.  Poor starving students.  You don’t have to split one.  Make your own with a Banana Cream Pie.  (recipe below)

5.  Chick Pie

For a great spring look, I dressed up this Key Lime Pie with some multi-colored chicks.  How fun would this be at a spring brunch?  The Key Lime Pie was just right for this because of where the pie is lined with  cream.  The chicks fit perfect.

So do you agree with me that pie is not just for slicing anymore?  Make your spring a little sweeter by dressing them up or making a completely new dessert with them.  It’s that easy.

I’d love for you to check out all the great ideas on Marie Callender’s Facebook Page for some more ins-PIE-ration and watch for March 16-25 for our curated content on their Pinterest Board “Spring Desserts”.

Happy Spring Everyone.  Celebrate with a piece of pie!

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Eclairs and Cream Puffs

Author Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

• Mini Eclairs and Cream Puff shells. I purchased mine at my local bakery shop. They were $.30 a piece.
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 TBL butter
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 3 tsp water
• Marie Callender's Banana Cream Pie
• Pastel Chocolate

Instructions

• In a small sauce pan, slowly heat and mix the chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup and water until the consistency is smooth and pourable.
• Dip the tops of the eclairs and cream puffs into the chocolate and chill in the refrigerator until set.
• Cut the eclairs and cream puffs where desired and spoon banana cream pie into the shells with some whipped cream in the front.
• Place the sliced almonds from the pie onto the whipped cream as garnish.
• Melt pastel chocolate per the instructions on the package.
• Pour into a sandwich ziploc bag. With scissors, cut a small piece of the bottom corner off the bag. Push the melted chocolate to that corner.
• Squeeze softly and draw lines over the eclairs and cream puffs.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Pastel Candy Flowers

Author Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

• Candy flower mold
• Pastel Chocolate

Instructions

• Melt the pastel chocolate per the instructions on the package.
• Pour into a sandwich ziploc bag. With scissors, cut a small piece of the bottom corner off the bag. Push the melted chocolate to that corner.
• Squeeze softly into the flower mold.
• These will set at room temperature so just wait until set. Usually takes around 1/2 hour.
• Pop the flowers from the mold.
• If you'd like the flowers to stand up from the pie, insert a toothpick into the back of the flower and then insert into the pie where desired.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Marie Callender’s. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post 5 Fun Things to do with a Cream Pie appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.