Coffee Profiteroles

Ingredients

• Basic choux pastry

• 60g butter, chopped
• 2/3 cup plain flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

• Creme patissiere

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 4 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup cornflour
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee powder
• 25g butter, chopped

• Coffee glace icing

• 2 cups pure icing sugar
• 10g butter, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee powder

Method

1. Make creme patissiere: Combine milk and vanilla in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer (don’t boil). Remove from heat. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour in a heatproof bowl until thick and creamy. Gradually beat in hot milk. Return to saucepan. Add coffee powder. Cook, over medium heat, stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stir in butter. Cover surface with plastic wrap. Set aside for 20 minutes to cool. Refrigerate until cold.
2. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Line 3 large baking trays with baking paper.
3. Make basic choux pastry: Combine butter and 2/3 cup cold water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until butter has melted and mixture just starts to boil.
4. Reduce heat to low. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture comes away from side of pan and forms a ball. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
5. Reserve 2 teaspoons egg. Using a wooden spoon, gradually beat in remaining egg until well combined and mixture forms a glossy dough (mixture should drop from the spoon).
6. Spoon 2 level teaspoons of dough onto prepared tray to form a mound. Repeat with remaining dough, 5cm apart on tray. Brush pastry with reserved egg.
7. Bake 1 tray of profiteroles for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until golden and puffed. Using a small knife, cut a slit in the base of each profiterole. Return to oven, cut-side up. Bake for 5 minutes to dry out centres. Cool on tray. Increase temperature to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Repeat with remaining trays.
8. Spoon creme patissiere into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe into profiteroles.
9. Make coffee glace icing: Combine icing sugar, butter, boiling water and espresso powder in a heatproof bowl. Stir over a pan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved. Spoon over tops of profiteroles. Set aside for 10 minutes to set. Serve.