C-U-T-E! These éclair-inspired treats come together in just fifteen minutes, thanks to simple store-bought ingredients like hotdog buns and readymade pudding. The result is a smart take on the bakery classic—hot dog buns are stuffed with vanilla pudding and then topped with a quick chocolately icing. With a little supervision, this is perfect hands-on project for kids. They can even decorate their iced tops with sprinkles for a fun DIY twist. Serve with a glass of milk for washing down the generous portions. Pro tip: For extra decadent éclairs, seek out brioche-style hot dog buns, which are almost dessert-like in their own right.
How to Make It
Open buns without completely splitting. Using your fingers, hollow out the top half of each bun, creating a small, long cavity to hold the filling. (Discard removed bread.)
Spoon about 2 tablespoons pudding into each hollowed top bun half; close buns to seal pudding inside; discard remaining pudding. Arrange buns on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium; whisk in cocoa and milk until smooth. Remove from heat; gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Spoon mixture evenly over buns, allowing some sauce to drip down sides of buns.