These pecan pie eclairs have a traditional pecan pie filling in a crispy eclair crust rather than a pie crust. Topped with whipped cream and a pecan-dusted crisp top, these are a wonderful, individual dessert perfect for Thanksgiving.
Turn oven on 350F. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the corn syrup, brown sugar, salt, and egg yolks over medium heat until thickened. Stir constantly. I used my instant read thermometer and stopped cooking when the mixture reached 165F. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pecans. Set aside to cool completely but don't refrigerate it or it will get really thick and sticky.
Microwave the honey for 10 seconds on high power to thin it out. Brush the tops of the eclairs with the thinned honey and then sprinkle on the finely chopped toasted pecans. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for ten minutes to set the honey. Let cool completely.
Slice the eclair shells in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Fill the bottoms with the pecan pie mixture, pipe or spoon on some whipped cream and top with the pecan-crusted top halves. Refrigerate until serving time. The filling will get really thick so you don't need to be concerned about it being messy and dripping on the plate.
Notes
To Make the Simple Pate a Choux, combine 1 cup of water, 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (3 oz) cut into small pieces, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. When the mixture is boiling, dump in 3/4 cup all purpose or bread flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture looks like a clump of mashed potatoes. Cook over medium heat, stirring vigorously and constantly for a minute or two to dry out the dough just a bit. Transfer the dough to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachments. Beat for a minute to knock the heat back a bit, and then add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating until completely combined between additions. The mixture should be shiny and silky and slowly flow off the end of the paddle. Place the finished choux in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe into twelve 1 1/2" x 4" logs on parchment-lined sheets. (Six per sheet--you want to leave a bit of room between them). Before baking, you can beat another egg with a teaspoon of water and brush the choux with the egg wash. Bake at 425F for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 375F and continue baking for 30 more minutes. Turn off oven and let shells dry for an additional ten minutes. Remove from oven to cool completely.I made Maple Whipped Cream for my guys. 1 1/2 cups very cold heavy whipping cream, 3-4 Tablespoons maple syrup (to taste) and a pinch of salt. Then I just whisked slowly at first and then faster until I had stiff peaks. Use a piping bag to pipe the whipped cream on top of the pecan pie mixture all decoratively, or just spoon it on.