Éclair Torte for Your Memorial Day Gathering

*By: Linz Bordner*

If there is a dessert I love making as equally as I love eating, it’s an éclair torte. Just think of a traditional French eclair that you would get at your local bakery, but super-sized!

It’s three layers of light and fluffy decadence. The first layer and probably my favorite is the puff pastry crust. The second layer is the smooth and tangy vanilla creme filling. The final layer is the whipped topping with chocolate syrup. The end result is a beautiful piece of edible art!

What I love so much about this dessert is that it’s easy to make and not rich or heavy. So, I don’t feel like I need to do six workouts after eating it. It’s also the perfect dessert to bring to a large family gathering or summer picnic.

If you want to go more all-natural with the ingredients, I made real whipped cream instead of using Cool Whip. If you opt for real whipped cream, then the torte should be eaten within 1-2 days. You could also make your own chocolate sauce for the drizzle instead of using Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) vanilla instant pudding mix
• 3 cups cold milk
• 1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipping topping, thawed
• Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. In saucepan over medium heat, bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. Beat until smooth. Spread into greased 13×9 in. baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, remove puff from pan and place on serving platter.

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, pudding mix, and milk until smooth. Spread over puff; refrigerate for 20 minutes.

5. Spread with whipped topping; refrigerate.

6. Drizzle with chocolate syrup just before serving.