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Chocolate Eclairs

This recipe was mainly invented and makes 20 eclairs.

pastry
14 oz (400g) margarine
2 pints (1.1 litres) water
½ tsp salt
1 lb 9 oz (700g) flour
egg replacer equivalent to 16 eggs

icing
2½ oz (70g) margarine
7 oz (200g) chocolate
7 oz (200g) icing sugar
4 tbsps soya milk (or more as required)
2 tsp vanilla

whipped cream filling
9 oz (250g) tofu
4 tbsp oil
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp soya milk as required (may not need)

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

2. In a heavy saucepan, heat margarine, water and salt over a medium high heat until mixture boils and margarine melts. Reduce to low heat. Vigorously stir in flour all at once until mixture forms a ball. Transfer pastry to a bowl; cool for 5 mins.

3. While mixture is cooling, mix egg replacer with enough water to form a smooth paste. Don’t add as much water as recommended on the packet as it will make the dough too wet. Gradually stir in the egg replacer, beating well after adding each amount.

4. Grease baking sheets. Drop dough into small mounds (this mixture should make about 40 mounds in total, you will need several baking sheets) and mould into a long, thin oval shape. Bake until golden (aprrox 35 mins). Remove from oven and cool.

5. Make the icing; start by heating the margarine over a low heat. Break chocolate into pieces and add, stir until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.

6. Make the whipped cream: blend the ingredients in the order given, adding the soya milk last only as needed to blend the mixture into a thick cream. Chill. Whip the cream with a spoon or whisk before serving.

7. To assemble the eclairs, put the pastry into pairs (try to pair them up so each half is of a similar size and shape). Put whipped cream on one half and put the second half on top. Spread the top half with icing.

8. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.