Eclairs and Puffs

The Century Cookbook circa 1894

Cream Puffs-
Stir together in a saucepan one cupful of butter with two of flour; when well mixed add half a pint of boiling water, stir smooth, and when it boils set aside to cool, when cool add five eggs and beat for two or three minutes; cover bottom of a baking pan with buttered paper and drop the mixture on it in small spoonfuls, or it can be put in muffin rings. Bake for twenty-five or thirty minutes in a brisk oven.

Cream for filling-
Boil one pint of milk, heat together 1 cupful of sugar, 2 eggs and 1/2 cupful of flour, stir this into the boiling milk and let it cook for three minutes; flavor with lemon or vanilla; cut a circular piece out of the top of each puff , fill with the custard and replace top.

Eclairs-
One pint of milk, 6 ounces butter, 8 ounces corn starch, ten eggs. Boil milk and butter together, add corn starch and boil for three minutes. After removing the paste from the fire, let cool, and then add the eggs one at a time and beat thoroughly; bake in oval-shaped patty pans; when done, cut open and fill with whipped cream, (or cream filling above) flavored to taste; make an icing for the tops flavored the same as the filling.

Chocolate Eclairs-
Make the same as above, fill the center of the cakes with vanilla custard(or cream filling above) and ice with chocolate icing.

Transparent Puffs-
Mix together 1 pint of water, 2 ounces butter 6 ounces corn starch, then beat in 5 whole eggs and the white of five(more). Beat well and bake in patty pans or in small spoonfuls on buttered paper.