Chocolate Eclairs

Growing up on a cotton farm in Collin County did not expose one to an extensive variety of foods.  Red beans and cornbread with sides of fried potatoes and greens were common foods on our table.   Chicken fried chicken, chicken fried steak, green beans cooked to almost a mush, and mashed potatoes were our Sunday meals.  Saturday nights were usually homemade hamburgers.  Desserts were varied between bread pudding, banana pudding, rice pudding, pecan pie, buttermilk pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, angel food cake, and the occasional chocolate or coconut pie.  When all was right with the world, Mom would make banana ice cream.  Yummers, every crumb and drop of all of the afore mentioned foods.

Variety would be added if Mom or Granny Chandler saw a new recipe on the early morning cooking show on a local TV station.  She might read about something new in the Courier-Gazette and give it a try.  In a farming community, women would freely exchange recipes when a new one was found to be shareworthy.  With Jello becoming popular congealed concoctions from salads to desserts began finding our table.  One especially delightful one was Lemon Chiffon Pie.  Mom's always delicate pie crust would contain a gelatin-based whipped filling.  The filling was light as a feather.

One time Mom had made the pie.  We took the pie to Sis #1's home in nearby McKinney.  Nephew #1 was maybe 18 months old.  He put a piece of the pie in his mouth.  He began looking around for the dropped pie.  It was so light he did not realize it was in his mouth.  I have looked online for that recipe and never found it.  

Just as well as my pie crust is more like a piece of cardboard.  But my mom's was the very best.  And if it did not feel right to her touch she would toss it and start over.  Once she threw it into the backyard while plumbers were working in the yard.  My mom had a way about her that gave me a smile as I typed this.  I just did another search for a no-bake lemon chiffon pie and now I have some options!  This may need to be made for Easter.

Me, Connie, Lyn, Sis #4, Beverly Circa, 1958

What does all this rambling have to do with chocolate eclairs?  Background information on the limits of my food education.  I was in 4-H club learning homemaking skills.   I do not remember making any desserts.  I did make a carrot/English pea baked ring something or other.  I entered it in a district 4-H competition.  I did not win a prize.  I still have the dish Mom bought for me to display the ring for the competition.

Still, no eclair explanation. Not even in 4-H was I ever introduced to any sort of puff pastry.  Crust was either flour, Crisco, salt, and water or the once in a while graham cracker crust.  Granny's hot rolls.  But never a puff pastry.  Until I was about 18 years of age and working for Texas Instruments. 

A shopping center was located near the apartments where I lived for about a year.  That apartment was near TI.  In the shopping center was a bakery. Fellow TIers would ofter order cakes for birthday and other celebrations from the bakery.  On one such occasion, I was asked to pick up the cake as I lived so near the bakery.  On that fateful day, I was introduced to the most delightful delicacy my senses came to enjoy.  A lighter-than-air pastry shell filled with a creamy custard and covered with a chocolate glaze.  Yes, in 1965 I ate my first chocolate eclair.  

The shopping center is still there.  None of the stores are the same which is pretty natural.  It appears the little German bakery is now named Cake Carousel.  I doubt Cake Carousel has a clue how to make those wonderful eclairs.    The lady who was always so busy with just a bead or two of perspiration on her forehead has long passed from this earth.  I have never found another eclair as good as the ones from that little German bakery in Richardson, Texas, but I keep trying.

Take care,

Janice