Eclair pie recipe found on Web has pastry dough crust

Dear Laura: I am looking for a recipe for an eclair pie. — Maxine, Post Falls

Dear Maxine: Here’s a very tasty eclair pie recipe I found on the Internet. Several recipes for eclair pie used the same whipped cream and vanilla pudding filling. I liked this one because of the pastry dough. A few other recipes called for a graham cracker crust. Enjoy!

Christmas Eclair Pie

From All Recipes.com

For pastry:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs

For filling:

2 1/2 cups milk

2 (3.4-ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix

1 pint heavy cream, whipped

For frosting:

1 (16-ounce) container prepared chocolate frosting

1 cup heavy cream, whipped (optional)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 (4-ounce) jar maraschino cherries (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a pizza pan. Grease bottom of small glass bowl and place in center of pan.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter and water; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in flour, stirring until thickened. Stir in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour batter onto pizza pan and around bowl, forming a ring.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow pastry to rise another 15 minutes. Do not open the oven door while pastry is rising. After the 15 minutes, remove the pastry from the oven and cool completely. Cut through the pastry horizontally, making a bottom and a top.

Beat together the milk and pudding mixes. Stir pudding mixture into whipped cream and beat until thick. Spread filling on pastry bottom and then replace pastry top.

Heat the prepared chocolate frosting for a few seconds in the microwave to make it pourable. Pour over filled pastry, letting it drip down.

Pipe dots of whipped cream on top, sprinkle with walnuts and place a cherry on each whipped-cream dot.

Note: This recipe makes a ton of filling. I had enough to fill the pastry and a pie as well. To make the pie, pour filling into a prebaked pie crust and drizzle the frosting over the top. Chill and serve.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Approximate nutrition per 1/12 of recipe: 608 calories, 44 grams fat (21.9 grams saturated, 65 percent fat calories), 8.9 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrate, 160 milligrams cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 232 milligrams sodium.

Dear Readers: Some time ago, a reader from Post Falls wrote seeking a casserole recipe that included egg noodles, sharp cheese, cream cheese, tomato sauce, green onions and a few other ingredients. I couldn’t find the recipe, but several other requests for the same recipe have come my way since, keeping the search alive. I found this recipe on the Internet and tweaked the ingredients a bit.

Clean Your Plate Casserole

Adapted from www.geocities.com/NapaValley/2267/

cass.html

8 ounces egg noodles

1 pound lean ground beef or turkey (see note)

1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup green onion, chopped

3 ounces cream cheese

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Cook noodles according to package directions. Brown ground beef (or turkey), drain fat and then add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, sugar, garlic powder and pepper.

In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, onions and cream cheese and add to meat mixture. Combine with noodles in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Note: This recipe can be made vegetarian by using a meat substitute or simply leaving the meat out.

Yield: 6 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 533 calories, 30 grams fat (17 grams saturated, 50 percent fat calories), 30 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrate, 120 milligrams cholesterol, 2.5 grams dietary fiber, 1,452 milligrams sodium.