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Chocolate Eclair

By March 14, 2010March 8th, 2023Breakfast, Dairy Free, Desserts, Nut Free, Vegetarian

 Testimony of the Day

PHOTO TESTIMONY: “Hiya Maria and Craig! My name is Whitney Bray, and though we have never had a conversation before- you have changed my life.

eclair

I grew up in a paycheck to paycheck household that lived on microwave dinners and fast food. I was not encouraged to join sports or do outdoor activities, and was often told that my weight was ‘genetic’ and ‘inevitable’. I spent 22+ years of my life believing that.

I had tried a few things like name brand diets, high end diet pills that I had seen my mom take, nothing worked and I was completely miserable. At 5′ 2″ I weighed in at over 225lbs and I was very weak. My digestive system was a wreck, I couldn’t jog down to the end of the driveway, and I was miserable.

Then after a journey of learning to love myself, instead of hating myself, a friend told me about Keto. And it wasn’t long after that, that I found your book Keto-Adapted. I had already read two other lchf books first- but they were not easily accessible. They didn’t truly explain the importance of being keto-adapted, and how to get there, and didn’t address pre-existing problems caused by carb intolerance. Your book was a miracle in my life. I bought all of your cookbooks for my kindle app on my phone and I check your site almost daily!! I make your low carb bread and fudge cookies almost weekly for my 2 year old son and my husband.

Since eating the Maria Way I’ve lost 50lbs!!! And more importantly, I feel better than ever before!! I am doing things I never thought I’d do. I went from trying my hand at yoga and being timid that my weight would keep me from gaining anything from the practice- to doing Aerial Yoga every week! So it’s not just about the fat loss, it’s also about how much I’ve gained from improving my health.

So thank you, thank you so very much for giving me confidence in providing my son with a much healthier beginning than I had when I was growing up, for helping my husband repair his leptin response and aid him in his new journey to do powerlifting competitions, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing me what it feels like, to be healthy.

Forever grateful, Whitney Bray”

If you too want to find out what supplements your body needs and how to change your diet, click HERE for life-changing help!

I’m not one to watch a lot of TVs, but I do love cooking shows! My favorite one is MasterChef! They made eclairs on this show which inspired me to create a “healthified” eclair, but I also watch a show called the Best American Baking Competition. The contestants on this show also had to make Eclairs. One of the judges claimed the contestant had too much filling in the eclair! WHAT? Craig and I looked at each other and laughed! That is NEVER a bad thing as you can clearly see by Micah’s expression and the filling dripping down his face!

Chocolate Eclair

Maria Emmerich
NOTE: If you use this on your Pure Protein and Fat day, do not use ChocoPerfection chocolate, you must use the homemade version.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dairy Free, Dessert, Nut Free, Vegetarian
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 363

Ingredients
  

Eclairs:

  • 3 large eggs separated
  • 1/4 cup vanilla egg white protein
  • 3 ounce cream cheese softened OMIT IF DAIRY ALLERGY and add reserved yolks
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 4 tablespoons Natural Sweetener or 1 tsp stevia glycerite

CUSTARD FILLING:

  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 cup Natural Sweetener or erythritol and 1/4 tsp stevia glycerite
  • 1/4 cup salted butter melted, or coconut oil

CHOCOLATE (Easy Option):

CHOCOLATE (Homemade option):

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter or coconut oil
  • 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
  • 10 tablespoons heavy cream or coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup Natural Sweetener
  • 1 teaspoons stevia glycerite

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  • Separate the eggs and whip the whites and cream of tartar until very stiff (I use my beloved stand mixer and let it go for 5 minutes).
  • Slowly sift in the protein powder into the whites.
  • Combine softened cream cheese (OR YOLKS) and natural sweetener.
  • Using a spatula, very gently fold the cream cheese into the whites.
  • Spray a lasagna pan with coconut oil spray and spoon the mixture into it in tube-like shapes (if the whites fall, put the mixture into greased muffin tins).
  • Bake for 18 minutes.
  • Remove pans from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
  • To make the CUSTARD: Whisk egg yolks, almond milk, and natural sweetener in a medium metal bowl to blend.
  • Slowly mix in the melted butter so the eggs don't cook unevenly.
  • Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
  • Whisk mixture constantly and vigorously until thickened and an instant-read thermometer inserted into mixture registers 140°F for 3 minutes, about 5 minutes total (or coats the back of a spoon).
  • Remove mixture from over water and chill for at least 1 hour in the fridge. (It can be prepared 1-3 days ahead and refrigerated. Re-whisk before serving.)
  • Place in a ziplock bag.
  • Cut the corner of the bag and pipe the mixture into the éclairs.
  • To make CHOCOLATE EASY OPTION: Chop the bars into small pieces.
  • In a double boiler or microwavable bowl, combine ingredients.
  • Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well.
  • Drizzle onto éclairs and let rest on a cooling rack until glaze has set.
  • To make HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE: Place the butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat-safe dish over a pot of boiling water).
  • Stir well until just melted (don't burn the chocolate!), add in the cream, and natural sweetener.
  • Stir until smooth and thick.
  • Smooth all over the top of the cooled eclairs.

Nutrition

Calories: 363 | Fat: 33g | Protein: 15.1g | Carbohydrates: 3.8g | Fiber: 1g | P:E Ratio: 0.4

 Acetylcholine

In my book: Secrets to Controlling Your Weight Cravings and Mood, I discuss the main neurotransmitters responsible for a healthy brain (serotonin, GABA, dopamine and acetylcholine). Most people haven’t heard of acetylcholine, but it is so important! Acetylcholine controls the brain’s speed and mental process, keeping memory sharp and physical movements quick and precise. Acetylcholine controls activity in the parietal lobe, the area of the brain responsible for processing sensory information, learning, memory and awareness. Inadequate levels of this chemical can cause forgetfulness, Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, dementia, dry mouth, dry skin, reading or writing disorders, speech problems, slow movement, mood swings, difficulty prioritizing tasks and an inability to relate to others.

Most women are predisposed to an acetylcholine deficiency because these symptoms set in with peri-menopause. Estrogen and testosterone stimulate the production of acetylcholine. As levels of those hormones decline, so does the production of this brain chemical.  This prompts symptoms like memory lapses, dry skin, and weight gain. The cholesterol in yolks helps produce hormones levels. The reason why cholesterol levels go up after menopause is because your body is trying to produce more estrogen (which your ovaries are no longer releasing).

In the late 1930s, scientists discovered that tissue from the pancreas contained a substance, called Choline, which helps prevent fatty build-up in the liver and produces acetylcholine. Since then, research has shown that choline is found not only in the pancreas and liver but is also a huge component of every human cell. Choline is named after the Greek word which means bile, which is very appropriate. Bile, which is produced in our liver, has a primary job of making fat compatible with water so that fat-based matter can get transported through the body in our water-based blood. Interestingly, Choline has very comparable fat-modifying effects on our cellular membrane. The reason that choline decreases fat storage is that it allows our cell membranes to operate with greater flexibility in handling both fat and water-soluble molecules. In other words, without choline, fat-based nutrients and waste products could not pass in and out of our cells. Therefore, healthy fats can’t get into our cells to make our brain healthy, skin soft, and cells happy AND we can’t get the stored toxic fat out! Choline is a key component of the fat-containing structures in cell membranes. Since cell membranes are almost entirely made up of fats, the membranes’ health depends on adequate amounts of choline.

To produce more acetylcholine, enjoy three servings of choline-rich foods; like eggs (I’m talking about the yolks here…Egg Beaters don’t count). Grass-fed, organic eggs are the most beneficial. Grass-fed eggs contain a very high level of healthy omega 3s compared to store-bought eggs. Omega 3 will also stimulate a happier brain by assisting our cells to communicate. “Happy cells are talking cells.” Supplemental choline has even shown effectiveness in treating Alzheimer’s disease. Click HERE to find.

eclair

If you would like to help out a small family, rather than a large business, I am happy to announce that you can now get my books as a high-quality ebook that works on any platform. This is an ebook format that works on any computer or mobile device. It is a beautiful pdf that has all the full-color pages and layouts as the printed books with a click-able table of contents and searching capabilities. This is extremely useful when trying to find a recipe. These books are much higher quality than the ebook platforms (kindle, apple). Plus, most of the profits don’t go to Amazon or apple! Just go here to get your copy!

Just Click HERE or select “My Books” above to get your copy now! Thank you all for your love and support!

Maria Emmerich

Maria is a wellness expert who has helped clients follow a Ketogenic lifestyle to heal and lose weight for over 20 years. She has helped thousands of clients get healthy, get off medications and heal their bodies; losing weight is just a bonus. She is the international best selling author of several books including "Keto: The Complete Guide to Success on the Ketogenic Diet.".

41 Comments

  • Michelle says:

    Maria I love reading the success stories. I have your books watch your videos that I can find and get you daily blog! You are great! Much appreciated for all you do free for the people!!! I am saving to one day get a consult with you. I too want desperately to be on the Maria way! I need one on on help. I have questions. My favorite book is secrets to a healthy metabolism, however I find it confusing to put it all into play. Until then, thank you for all the inspiration’

    • cemmerich says:

      Thanks! I have a new “Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism 2” that will help greatly in putting it all together (even with some meal plans)! It will be out by spring. 🙂

  • Darlene says:

    I am so happy to see this recipe! Every time I pass by my “old” eclair recipe I’ve thought I would never have them again, but here you are with a healthified version. Thank you, thank you!

  • Andrea says:

    I have a couple of your books and we LOVE them and are so thankful for your recipes!! My daughter is on the Modified Atkins Diet for the purpose of working towards reducing her medication for epilepsy. She eats a lot of fat and has to keep her carbs under 30 net carbs. So your recipes are a blessing from heaven for us! We also give her supplemental magnesium and use herbs that feed and calm the brain (passion flower, ginkgo, eleuthoro root, & valerian). Though she is seizure free on her medication, we really want to reduce or eliminate her medication. A couple of months ago, she had a 24 hour, sleep deprived EEG and the improvement of her brain activity wasn’t enough for her neurologist to feel comfortable lowering her medication. We were so disappointed. Do you think choline would be helpful for epilepsy?

    Thank you again for your incredible recipes!

  • London says:

    Oh my goodness! You are so incredibly talented Maria. The eclairs look so delicious and the nutrition is amazing when I read it with such high protein to keep us all satisfied. I’m excited to get baking this weekend.
    Thank you! Thank you!

  • Linda says:

    Hi Maria, Another one of your books arrived today, the Nutritious and Delicious one. Can’t wait to try them all. However, I’ve decided to try the intermittent fasting for the next month or so and wondered if my sleep regimen of a tablespoon of gelatin dissolved in sleepy time tea an hour before bed (which has made sleep better) will affect the fasting since the gelatin is a kind of food. I’ve eaten brunch at 11 and dinner at 6 the last three days and like it. No food after 6 PM. I hope to hear before I go to bed tonight. Thanks for all your help. Linda

  • Donna says:

    Your recipes are more like temptation (on top of motivation) to eat therapeutically 🙂 Question if possible to ans: Does cooking the egg compromise the benefit to acetylcholine production any?

  • Karen says:

    Hi Maria, My 10 year-old son has ADHD and dyspraxia (specifically, sensory-seeking). I’m wondering if there have been any studies — or just what your opinion is — on acetylcholine and ADHD. Have you treated children with ADHD/Sensory Processing Disorder?

  • Claudette Melanson says:

    Maria, I’m seriously thinking of going back to school to become a nutritionist. When I discovered low carb back in the 90’s it became a passion for me. Finding your website took that to the hundredth power! I tell everyone I can about your site and the way of eating. My husband finally made the switch…he’s lost 32 lbs and still losing! I would love to be the Canada version of Maria….lol. But I was wondering what kind of degree you have? Do you have to be licensed? I know you put up a link to an online program, is that what you did? I’d love to know how to get started. I like my job (accounting at Toyota Canada) but when I think about how amazing it would be to work with something I’m this passionate about…that would be even better! Thanks for any help you can offer!

  • AM says:

    Whoa…I didn’t know I wanted eclairs…until now!
    This would be a good candidate for a video! I’m a little confused about the tube like shapes…do you leave a hollow area in the middle to fill with the custard, and then flip it when its ready to coat with the chocolate? As written it sounds like (to me) you layer the custard on and then the chocolate glaze right over that…is that correct? I’ve never made eclairs so I’m a little confuzzled… can’t wait to try though! 🙂

    • cemmerich says:

      You put the custard in a ziplock, cut the corner to make a hole, and just pipe it into the cooked and cooled eclairs. They coat with chocolate. 🙂

  • Maggie says:

    Long wondered how to do ‘choux pastry’ without the wheat. Thanks!

  • AM says:

    Aha! Thanks 🙂

  • Claudette Melanson says:

    Thank you so much for the information Maria! I will check that program out for sure.

  • Karen says:

    Thanks so much for your recipes. I have 2 of your books and love them. I think I have read them both a couple times if not more. I just made this recipe this past weekend and all I can say is WOW! There are a lot of steps into making this recipe but it was well worth the effort! Thanks for all you do!! Thinkin that I need to do a health assessment with you soon. Maybe I will ask for it for Christmas….

  • Debbie says:

    Hi Maria,

    I LOVE all of your recipes! You really are a genius! I have a question about the stevia. What brand of powdered stevia, stevia glycerite and liquid stevia are you using in your recipes? There are so many brands and some are bitter. I haven’t had much luck with it so far. Thank you for all you do!

  • Anonymous says:

    Can I use my unflavored protein powder somehow and is it ok to leave both the cream cheese and egg yolks out? Also, could I sub half and half for the heavy cream in the filling? Oh and one more thing, is there a way to make the chocolate completely from scratch because I only have 90% dark chocolate available.

  • Christy says:

    Hi Maria. Love your recipes and this way of eating. I want to make chocolate chips out of homemade chocolate recipe of yours. Can I use the cocoa nibs from nuts.com that I have? Should I put nibs in vitamix to make it a powder or just melt them? Will chocolate recipe harden again? Appreciate any advise.

  • Lorn says:

    Does the apron belly ever flatten? I’m very curious about this as I have it, though you would never know unless I took my clothes off. All my research states its due to hormone imbalance, which I have (hypothyroid and pcos). I just want to know if this goes away and I can have flat abs through diet and exercise. I know some women that obtain flat tummies with these conditions but in your experience, have you seen it happen?

  • Jonnie says:

    Sadly, the non-dairy version of this recipe just didn’t work for me. I did use soy protein powder instead of egg white powder, because that’s what I had on hand — and xylitol for most of the sweetener, using Swerve only for the chocolate and avoiding stevia (which I really dislike.) But I don’t know if that would have made a difference.

    The most disappointing results were with the dough. After adding the protein powder the egg whites became more and more dense and smaller and smaller in size. Then after I added the egg yolk the whole thing became too liquid to shape into eclairs. I had to add more powder and then pour it into muffin tins. In the end, what came out of the oven was momentarily puffy, but immediately collapsed on being removed from the oven and I wound up with tiny rubbery medallions.

    The custard (which we wound up eating with a spoon!) was somewhat more successful, but with just egg yolks, a bit too eggy. It tasted a little like a sweet omelet. The chocolate came out great.

  • Ann says:

    Hi Maria …. i love all your high fat recipes…. but how much protein can i eat in one meal ?
    i do 24 hr. fasting several days a week….. when i break the fast at 6pm for dinner….. how much fat and how much protein should i be eating ? that one meal is my only one till the next day.

    i would love to make these eclairs…. but i would want more than one. lol

    i dont know if i should or not if i can make the carbs fit into my diet….. i am trying to lose my last 10 pounds. lol
    but would love this dessert.

    thanks

    • Maria Emmerich says:

      I wouldn’t do more than about 50g-60g or so of protein in a meal. Thanks! 🙂

      • Ann says:

        Thanks so MUCH Maria ….. I LOVE your website…..
        i know we are all different but HOW MUCH FAT can someone eat and still keep weight loss going ?

        i REALLY love your Keto fudge and want to eat more than one piece. lol

        i am 5′ 5″ and fairly active. do calories from FAT make a difference when you are trying to lose weight ? or could i have more dessert if i budget the carbs in my diet to keep the carbs down.

        your desserts are a GODSEND for me….. just would LOVE to have more of them. lol
        thanks

        • Maria Emmerich says:

          I would keep total calories in the 1000-1400 range for weight loss. Thanks! 🙂

          • Ann says:

            Oh my… thanks Maria….. if you are eating fat…. that doesnt leave much room for desserts. thats not alot of calories to work with.

            oh well….. if i want to get this last 10 pounds off….. i guess i have to.

            i have a tremendous appetite….. i hope i wont be hungry but i am definitely gonna
            try to stay in that calorie range.

            thanks so much for your help and all the work you do with all these desserts.

          • Maria Emmerich says:

            You probably have some leptin resistance that is still healing. Over time you will feel full longer eating this way. 🙂

  • Hangga says:

    i made it several times and didnt work !! it is very rubbery . and is it possible to make meringue without sugar ? since your recipe said beat egg whites and cream of tartar

    • Maria Emmerich says:

      If it is rubbery it is most likely underwhipped. The whites need to be very stiff.

      I’m sorry you were disappointed.

  • Holly says:

    OMG these sound so good! But. FYI your pics aren’t showing up. It’s not pinning well because of that

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